The Washington herald., 1916-04-16
STRIKE THREAT
NATIONAL Menace
Rule Of Reason Must Sup
plant Force in Settling
Railroad Controversy.
AFFECTS WHOLE NATION
Small Minority Of Workers on Rail-
ways Seek to Extend Pay
Discrimination.
~ -soHN FRANKLIN cRowEII.,
Pm. D., L. III. D.,

Pm. D., l.. III. ID,
John Franklin crowen Is widely
known as an educator. an economist
snd a writer on industrial topics
-.e was formerly at the head Of
the Department Of Economics and
dent of Trinity College, North Caro-
lima. He served as an expert to the
United States Industrial Commission
and to the Treasury Department. deal
ing especially with the subject OF M
ternaf commerce. He Is the author
Of numerous books. one of the most
recent being, Trusts and Competl-
ton
whenever any considerable group of
our feIlsw-citizens demands fresh deal
in the distribution of the national income,
the proposition has no right to become
operative until IL has been considered
from at least four distinct viewpoints.
The proposition Of the four-train service
organizations. stripped Of its pretense. Is
simply this: GIVE US basic s-hour day
and an overtime higher rate OF pay, or
wen put the thumb crews OF starvation
on the country bY use OF our power to
tie up all traffic. from coast to coast"
That, IN plain English. is the challenge
which these four railway organizations
Nave flung into the face OF the people OF
the United States. They mean strike,
and they plainly declare that the public
at large-the business world that keeps
the railroads, the banks, the industries,
the farms and the government itself go
lng-shall have nothing to say In the
issue thus prescribed.
who Own. the Vineyard
Well let Us look at this proposition a
little more closely before we throw up our
hands in expected fashion. For this may
after all, be concocted by a small knot
OF otherwise useful citizens who have
got into the bad habit OF thinking them
selves the whole show. These useful men
to whose technical ability and skill as
workers, 1 take on my hat, hguratively
speaking, every time have anything to
do with railroads have for the time
forgotten that they are the creatures Of
the great public's confidence In their
capacity to render responsible service.
They are looking into the wrong end of
the telescope They have gotten hold Of
the idea that the servant is greater thaIf
his nnaster-the public whom they are
preparing to force into capttulation.
This absolute reversal In the concep-
ton Of the employees normal relation
ship to the community makes their CO.
lossal error the forgotten stake In
their striks-and-starve program. This is
the thing itself IN its naked reality with
ripped on And this Is their own state
ment OF the issue. as expressed In their
own resolutions Whether Il represents
the attitude Of the rank and file or not,
3 smother question.
Our. best-paid railway workers should
not forget that this Is an age OF discus
sion Any proposition which comes to
the community so completely thermos-
bottled as not to admit Of discussion Is
scrapped before Il gets far. For there are
always four angles from which the pu-
lie, which pays the bills, wants to AK
anime even a hold-up proposal. Our
public Is like the old Puritan theologians
who insisted that no proposition was
worth a farthing more or less than the
reasons which could be made to support
- It.
Economic Aspects of the Question.
l. Is this demand economically sound,
or Is IT self-oondemned out OF the mouth
OF economic experience? These men are
already the best paid workers IN a coun-
try with the highest wage-level In the
world. What do they get7 From q, 90
= year for trainmen to d.TsD a year for
enginemen. That averages H,24o a year
/, including conductors and fremen.
These four classes comprise only IS per
cent OF all employees in railway occupa-
tions. The other 50 per cent get an
the S12,ooo men who get an excess Of n
per cent over the average received by
the other four-hfths Of the employees,
want stiH larger share IN the new deal
demanded Of railway income.
II It were good business to cut up the
pie in such proportions for the blg-four
organization Of men, II were still better
business to raise the pay of those not so
well paid-the 800 men But II the first
step were taken, the second could proba-
bly, not be avoided. And In that case
there would be available so much less
% for maintaining roads, which are al
ways wearing out; % for current extern
sions and improvements which growth
OF business makes necessary; and CD for
additional capital at higher costs than
the roads have hitherto been paying for
borrowed capital IN competition with de-
mands over a worldwide market for
funds.
Political MIX In the Cocoanut.
2. This brings us to the second test ot
the case-the political aspect of II Hera
the railway rstepayer becomes the tax
payer. II these $4,000 voters out OF
100000 should get what they demand bv
strike or threat Of strike It will mean
only one OF two things The enforced
diversion OF y75ooo.0oo or 800. 100000 OF In
come to the credit Of IS per cent of the
railway employees, must either arrest raIl-
way development in all other directions
or the railroads must go to the public
treasury to make progress possible.
That means that this demand on the
railway treasury may turn out to be the
same thing as raid on the public treas
ury IN the interest OF IS men out OF every
100 employed in the country's railway
service. Why should any body OF rail-
Pway workers be allowed for single mo-
ment to cripple these public utilities to
the extent OF forcing them without dis
eussfon into bankruptcy. thus impairing
their credit and leaving the public powers
to do the hospital act by borrowing at
low rates Of interest for capital recupera-
ton?
Are We as a nation OF voters ready for
this2 II we are not. then we had better
not allow even the entering OF the wedge,
Until we see further ahead. At least we
bad better make the Congressional In
quiries now being provided for by the
Newlands and the Borah resolutions. SO
that We may see where we stand IN the
relation OF the roads to their future,
Union ob.oIuti.m, Interstate
sophf.try.
At all hazards the American voter
should diseredit that mirage of railway
-