New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-06
The Presidents Message

That IS the Presidents desire 10 see MS
full pnograrnre of railroad regulation en-
acted into law, even though he now has 70
face the opposition Of the four railroad
brotherhoods at whose behest and IN whose
interest the misnamed Adamson eight-hour
law was catapulted through Congress last
summer.
Mr.. Wilson was bound in honor TO renew
those of his recommendations which Con-
gress thrust aside three months ago IN
the mad rush TO placate the brotherhood
leaders. Taken in their entirety, the Pres
ident's original recommendations struck
somewhat crude, but not unequal, balance
between the interest Of the employees and
those Of the railroad companies They also
aimed at additional protection for the pub
lie. whose interest in the non-interruption
of interstate transportation is even more
vital than the interest Of the railroad COM
panies themselves.
The companies would not have looked
askance last August at a settlement of the
wage dispute with the brotherhoods which
while granting higher wages and short
ened hours would also have compelled the
Interstate Commerce Commission TO grant
the carriers corresponding increases in
freight rates. The public would have been
more or less reconciled to paying higher
freight rates if. as a compensation, 1t had
been guaranteed against the possibility of
sudden and paralyzing nationwide rail-
road strikes II certainly would be worth
to the nation a much larger sacrifice than
a slight raise in freight charges to be Sc
cured forever against industrial anarchy
to have achieved at last the elimination
of a chronic condition of civil war in so
basic a national industry as transporta
ton
Congress would have been applauded,
not condemned, if it had enacted Mr.. Will
sons complete programme into law. But
it did not do that. 1t picked out from the
Presidents six recommendations the two
which secured an arbitrary wage increase
for the brotherhoods. II legislated exclu-
sively for the benefit of one of the three
interests concerned, ignoring the necessity
of doing equal justice to the other two in
terests. Congress was criticised-and
properly criticised-for losing its head, for
enacting under threat and pressure, for
not having the moral courage to couple its
grant of higher wages to the brotherhoods
with conditions which would protect the
railroads from spoliation and which would
also prevent recurrence Of the hold-up
which forced the passage Of the Adamson
law.
Democratic Senators of breadth Of mind
and independence protested last summer
against the Adamson surrender. They
recognized the one-sided character of the
settlement which Congress was intimidated
into making. They held that if any legis-
lation extending Federal regulation was
20 be passed, it ought TO be legislation which
covered wider ground and served all in
terests, instead Of one interest. They knew
that law compelling fair all'round ad-
justment could have been passed. The
closing days Of August we're the golden
moment for passing it, since in the emer-
gency then existing factionalism in Con-
gress was stilled and dilatory tactics were
too hazardous TO be employed on behalf Of
any selfish, obstructive interest.
Congress sought peace, however, through
timid surrender TO the brotherhoods, be-
cause they were the most highly organized
and most threatening factor in the situa-
ton. Now that the Presidential election is
over and the political value Of that sur
render whatever il was) has been cashed
in, it remains for Congress TO complete the
partial settlement Of last August.
There will be little enough time at this
session 70 do justice to the railroads and
the public. President Wilson intimated in
one Of his campaign speeches that new
and fairer balance would have TO be struck
when Congress reassembed. II IS to his
credit that he now urges the two houses
20 perform duty which should have been
performed when the makeshift Adamson
law was passed.
The recommendation that the Interstate
Commerce Commission should be instructed
20 compensate the rallroads ior the wage
increase ordered by Congress is withdrawn.
The President says that the commission
can do that without an authorization from
Congress; and in that he is right. Only
the commissions reluctance to do anything
for the railroads that it could well avoid
doing has prevented it from considering
the effect Of wage increases through Fed
eral arbitrations land now through legis-
lation) in fixing freight rates.
The other three recommendations which
Mr.. Wilson renews are thoroughly sound.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
ought TO be enlarged. 1t cannot handle
the work which has been put upon 1t. 1t
should have more members and its useful