The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-08-30
forces threatened to put the strik

in force.
At this juncture the president sent
word to the. contending parties that
before any drastic action was taken
that he should be consulted about the
matter inasmuch as there was third
party interested quite as much as
either of the contending factions. He
said the third party was the American
people, one hundred million Of them,
who had right to be heard before a
strike should take place. Both parties
yielded so far as to meet the president
and talk matters over. The laboring
people were given an opportunity to
present their views to the president,
after which the railroads had their
opportunity. r.
The question of an eight hour day
has been long discussed between the
labor forces and the railroads and 9TH
er people who employ laborers and for
twenty years or, perhaps, more, the
parties have been unable to reach an
agreement on the question.
President Wilson told the railroads
that 1t was his judgement that they
should submit and concede the eight
hour day with pay that would practi-
cally amount to what they had been
paying for ten hour day, and he said
I it was the duty OF the railroad COM
panies to submit and if they idd not
it would not be his fault if strike
occurred He said that society was in.
favor Of an eight hour day and that If
the laboring people were satisfied
with his plan of settlement, he would
insist upon it, The laboring people did
not hesitate long to advise the presi-
dent that they were satisfied with his
plan of settlement, but the railroad
presidents were unable to reach the
same conclusion. They took the posi-
ton that Mr.. Wilson, in an off-hand
way had settled the question that had
engaged the attention of the best
minds of the country for number of
years and that evidently he had not
given proper attention to the question
before him. The president at first
thought the railroads were playing a
bluff and that inasmuch as he had de-
(cided the matter they would come in
land subcribe to his plan, but the long
Ter the matter was considered by the
railroad companies, the. more hostile
/ they became to the plan which the
president had submitted to them. They
have finally made counter-proposi.
FtiOn to the president in which they
have pointed out to him the injustice
Of his plan and in which they insist
upon the matter being arbitrated, be-
cause they argue that the effect of the
plan of the president, which seems
agreeable to the laboring forces, is,
in effect to increase the pay of thel
laborers by reducing the hours for
service from ten hours to eight hours.
We imagine that before the question
is settled the president will discover
that he made grievous mistake in|
his abrupt decision. He is now con-
sulting the leaders of Congress with
a view of finding out if they will in
crease the pay Of the railroads so asl
to compensate them for the loss on|
account of the increase in the pay oil
the employees,
When Mr.. Wilson talked of theI
third party, the American people. Who'll
are interested in the settlement of the
question, it was hardly thought thatl
his client would be the only one who
would suffer in the settlement of thel
question. If the pay of the employees
is increased and their day of servicel
reduced and congress should increased
freight rates in order to prevent thel
companies from losing any thing byl
reason of the demands of labor, it'll
would seem that the client of thel
president, the American people, arel
the ones who will suffer in consesl
Quence of the charge. n
We do not imagine that the farmers|
of Crawford county will take kindly
to the suggestion that they must be
taxed in order to compensate the rail-
road companies for what they lose by
the presidents interfering in, the mat
ter and demanding of the railroad
companies that they shall consent
to the eight hour day with the pay
Of a larger number of hours. If the
freight on the cattle and hogs shipped
to market is to be raised as we'll
as the freight on grain which is
delivered to market, what satisfaction
is it to the farmers of the country
to have the price of labor increased
above what is now and regarded as
reasonably high wages, II the presi-
dent, when he took charge of the mat
ter on his own motion, had given thel