Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-05
The Strike Aperted.

threatened railway strike is plainly an emergency
measure practical remedy for perilous condi-
ton rather than mature and conclusive judgment
on all the merits of the issue. theoretically, this
dispute between the railroads and their tranmen
employees ought to have been arbtrated as all dis
putes of the kind should be. But there was no
available of compelling arbitration to which
the trainmen demurred, so that however just the
principle itself might be it became in this particular
case unavailing The President thereupon exerted
his utmost influence to bring the contending par
ties to an agreement in the interest of public well
fare but his efforts unsuccessful The only
remaining recourse against an event which would
have been nothing short of calamitous was an ap-
peal to Congress for preventive legislation.
From one point of view the bill which has
passed. establishing the eghthour day as the legal
basis of work and pay for employees engaged in OPP
Grating trains puts the Government in the attitude
of yielding under duress to the peremptory demand
of the trainmen unions; and in this respect, 1t is
distinctly unpalatable to the American taste. In
the circumstances, however, this aspect of the Dill
is the least important The efght-hour Ques-
ton the of the entire issue 1t was the
one question in controversy which could not be ar
bitraed and the one question which had to be set
tied promptly if a strike to be averted The
Government faced the alternative of either putting
industrial war that would bring incalculable loss
and suffering to the public 1t acted, accordingly,
neither in the interest of the railroads nor the
tranmen but in the interest Of one hundred million
people whose welfare in imminent danger. 1t
adopted the available means of wardlng on a
disaster and the rank and file of the people, we be-
lieve will be gratifed their deiverance rather
than critical of the by which 1T was accom-
plished.
1t should be noted, moreover, that this bill is
merely one item in a broad program of legislation
intended to adjust the entire issue of railway wages
and work and to establish permanent, dependable
safeguards against the Of such crises as
that recently pending The President indicated this
when he urged upon Congress in his address last
week:
AN amendment of the existing federal
statute which provides for the mediation, con-
Citation and arbitration of such controversies
as the present by adding to it a provision that
in case the methods of accommodation now
provided for should fail full public lnVestl-
cation of the merits of every such dispute
shall be instituted and completed before
strike or lockout may lawfully be attempted"
And he added what is equally if not more sig
nificant:
owe should make all arbitral rewards
judgments by record of court of laws in Or
Ger that their Interpretation and enforcement
may lie, not with of the parties to the ar
filtration, but with impartial and authorlta-
tive tribunal"
with these and other supplementary laws the
country will be protected against such crises as
that which lately developed and the Government
will not depend as in the present instance, upon
emergency measures That such protection ought
70 be vouchsafed once and for all, no tair-mlnded
man will deny. The public's interests and rights in
railway service ought not to be at the mercy OF
either the railroads or the unions NO special
group of men. whether representing capital or Ia
Dor. should have the license to parayze the coun-
/ trv,s commerce and expose millions of homes to
starvation The possibility of such condition is
a menace to the integrity of government and to the
safety of society.
Having taken the first step, and in the circum-
stances the most important because the most urgent
step toward protecting public interests, Congress
shou1d proceed to complete the program OF pro-
tective legislation. The establishment OF an eight
hour working day for railway train service is COM
mendable in that it solves, or promises to sove the
;r,oediate pFoblem and also because the broad
nrincinle which it asserts is in accord with the
higher code of industrial justice and efficiency But
4bor rroblems no less important, though aess ur-
oort are vet to be solved. How the eight-hour
vstem will work out in practice what additional
cost Of operation it will impose upon the railroads
and how that cost shall be met, what shall be the
standard of pay for over-time-these and other
questions remain to be answered.
But the most vital of all questions is how shall
the public welfare be safeguarded IN the future!
Until that is efectually answered congress VIII
not have completed its important TASK ana the
country will not be satisfied
II is none the less gratifying, however, that the
threatened strike is practically averted at time
when the crop-moving season is at hand, when the
nations military defense is deeply concerned and
every field of business and public interest peculiar
" at stake The fact, moreover that the most hot
" contested point Of the controversy has been set
tied makes it possible to work out the remaining
issues in an atmosphere of judicial calmnesS ana
good feeling
An Unpleasant Subject