Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-02-24
RAILROADS USE DISHONEST
MEANS TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC

it and that without it would carry no
weight.
mo investigation into conditions Of
employment in the railroad train ser
vice ever was made by the Commits
sion Any information on the<subject
possessed by Mr.. Grant must have.
been handed to him by the railroads
or obtained by him from some other
source. His article sounds suspicious
ly like an echo of the statement issued
by the railroads themselves.
|: "Mr. Grant since he lit the employ
of the Commission has been employed
by the Tariff Commission League, ana
in that employment he has attempted
to capitalize his standing with organ
lied labor acquired in past years as
an active trade unionist. Grants at
tack on the railroad brotherhoods
shows him in his true character as
hostile critic of the labor movement
and champion of those interests that
are always ready to reward men OF his
type.
"This dishonest use of the name of
the Commission is not the first evil
dence that the railroads are determin-
ed to sacrifice the truth in their cam
paign to turn the public against the
men who operate the trains, and to
defeat Reinforcement to relieve them
from excessively long hours of labor.
I'm their own names, the railroad
managers have issued statement
which for deliberate shameless mis-
representation of the facts has never
been surpassed. This statement as
serted fatty and without qualification
that the men were demanding large
increases in pay. Not until two thirds
of column had been occupied by
these statements did the author in
cidentally mention the fact that the
men are proposing, not higher wages,
but relief from ten, twelve, fourteen
| and sixteen hour work days, and this
in the freight service only.
mot cent of additional pay is de-
| amnded by the men except for time
| in excess of eight hours, and after
| eight hours the men ask time and one
half for overtime only when the speed
of the train averages less than 1212
miles an hour.
The successful mendacity Of the
railroad managers is shown in the
headlines that were placed above this
statement in good faith by newspap-
er editors who wished to convey the
substance of the statement. These
headlines conveyed the impression uni
versally that the men were demand
ling large increases in wages.
Further to prejudice the mems
case and prevent fair public hear
| ing, the railroad managers in their
statement to the public confused the
eight hour day with the suggestion
of higher freight rates, or reduction
in interest and dividend payments.
1.-THE only question now at issue is
whether or not the eight hour day,
universally recognized as the longest
period of labor that should be requir-
ed, should be enjoyed by the men
who are responsible for the safety of
lives and property on American rail
roads.
ITO raise the question of freight
rates or dividend payments in this
connection is as far beside the point
as it would be to raise the question of
whether or not the railroad presidents
and managers should be sent to Jail
', lie lands in the west; for wrecking
railroad after railroad by the issuing
of worthless stocks and bonds; for vot-
ing huge commissions and secret rake
offs to favored bankers and brokers;
for bribing public officials and de-
bauching legislatures; or for conspir
ing with great industrial corporations
to crush competition, and to build
monopolies for the robbipg of the peo-
pie.
/. "Still further to confuse the issue,
the railroads have started discus
sion regarding the advisability of
government wage board to fix wages
for railroad employees. If such plan
were to be initiated by Congress and
the federal government, it would
mean that Congress isattempting to
check an advance in pay for wage
earners when it attempts no such
thing for those classes of exploiters
and profit takers who take infinitely
heavier toll from the community for
no useful service whatsoever. The
federal government has not yet at
tempted to regulate the issuing of
railroad securities, and with govern
ment consent the roads have been rob
bed of hundreds of millions through
the issuing of watered stocks and
bonds.
"Nor should the question of govern
ment ownership be raised in this con-
nection. Government ownership Of
railroads is as sure to come as there
is sure to be more equitable distri-
button of wealth, and freedom and
justice for wage earners. But these
lines Of progress must be kept separ-
ate and distinct. In Washington to-
day the government is paying street
cleaners $1.25 day, from which they
must buy uniforms and pay for their
cleaning. Government ownership is
sound and right. But it will not Of it.
self solve the. question of justice to
the wage earners. Even under govern
ment ownership, the employees must
have the right to organize and act to-
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