The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-03-09

Reel Show bered il
VOTE ON NATION WIDE STRIKE
American psychologists are turn
ing their attention from the eco
nomic effect of world war to the al
arming organized demands OF the
great army of trainmen of the Omit
ed States, which now threaten to
disrupt the entire industrial pros
perity of the nation, according 70 a
statement given out today by the
Western Association of Railways.
This statement in behalf of the rail-
ways further says: "While the vote
of 400 900 trainmen is being taken
for an arbitrary nationwide strike
unless the railways grant all in
crease of rs per cent in wages, the
general public awaits theoutcome
with vital interest at stake, mas
much as this $1OO,000,0OO wage
increase would necessarily have to
come out of the peoples pockets"
Employees now are getting As
per cent of the gross earnings of
the American railways. They re-
ceive forty-fve cents of every dol
lar the railways take in. The $780,
900 stockholders of the American
railways feel that they are not so
fortunate, because they receive only
per cent of the gross earnings.
''The great army of clerks and
other unorganized railway employ
ees grow indignant, too. when they
think of the trainmens' demands.
They declare the trainmaen are ex-
ceeding the limit of human greed in
asking for 500 100000 additional
wages, especially since these train
men already receive % per cent of
the total wages paid railway en-
ployees, Notwithstanding that in
number they comprise only - per
cent of the total number of railway
workers."
Studying the psychology of the
situation leads mathematical ex-
perts to the conclusion that Uncle
Sam is presented with problem
the solution of which may require
new federal legislation to forstall
organized labor demands which
threaten to rtsult in the absolute
conf1scatiOn of property"
congress has spent the last 20
years bringing industrial monopo-
lies to time. 1t now is presented
with a situation that demands a new
yoke to stop an attempted monopoly
of wages by a minority of employees
of single industry of the nation.
This is the first specific effort of this
kind that has occurred on a nation
wide scale and legal lights are Won
dering whether application of the
Sherman antitrust law would suffice
to control the situation. In the his
tory of the country no other labor
organization ever went so far in
making arbitrary demands. The
personal of the trainmen, who enjoy
the title of "Aristocrats of Labor
UniOnism,' consists of conductors,
trainmen, engineers and firemen."
Besides their hltimathm for
25 per cent increase in wages they
make other demands, decidedly
profitable one of which is that they
be paid a full days wages even if
they only run hundred miles,
''The railways take the position
CIlIl SOu Cct1lllOC 5CL OUT OIL
an orange" Taking the country as
whole a great many of it's railways
already are in the hands of receiv-
ers' hands in other words they are
being operated by the courts fro the
public. In the northwest especially
the railways have just reached the
stage where they are getting COM
fortably on their feet The working
conditions of the employees are
much better on these railways than
they are on the eastern systems. In
fact the majority of northeastern
trainmen are reported to be opposed
to the demands at this time. They
realize that any demand that is
made must have public approval to
win and the public of the northwest,
careful canvass shows, is not in
sympathy with such demands which,
in order to be met, must cause ma
terial setback to the existing general
prosperity that is now being enjoyed
in that great section Of the common
wealth.
s'The annual earnings of railways
show plainly that the railways can
not grant the demands of the train
men. It would bankrupt most every
railway in the country to grant
these demands. There is only one
solution, if the roads are compelled
to pay the enormous wage increase
of $100,000,00 and that is by in
creasing rates which would have to
come through the Interstate Com
merco Commission.
when the issue comes the AM
erican public should understand
clearly the situation and be pre-
pared to meet it," says Luke Grant,
special agent of the United States
Industrial Commission.
eff the public sympathy is with
the employees, the public should he
ready to pay the cost as eventually
it must. The burden will have to be
passed along to the consumer.
"The question for the public to
consider therefore, is whether it is