The Washington herald., 1916-06-01
The Railway Wage Controversy.

In New York today a conference OF inest-
mabe Importance to the general welfare OF the
whole country will begin. Upon its outcome
may depend the question whether the vast busi-
ness of transportation is to be brought to stand
STILL with resulting injury if not total paralysis in
almost every field OF industry. Eighteen general
managers, representing the 32s railroad systems
of the United States to meet four represent
atives each of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers. the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers and Firemen, the Brotherhood of Trainmen
and the Order of Railway Conductors, in effort
to adjust wages and hours of labor to the salts
faction of the employees and to the earnings of
the roads. That both sides are anxious to avoid
a strike the cost Of which would easily be
comparable to that Of such a war as Of 1898,
need not be asserted; yet up to the present time
there has been indication OF an amicabe agree
Iment.
Government statistics show that railroad en-
Iployes among the highest paid wage-earners
in the country, but their claim is that the nature
Iof their services entities them to more money for
fewer hours OF work. The railroads on their side
contend that to comply with the demands of the
men would add more than SIoo,oooooo year to
will not permit. The situation has all the ap-
pearance Of deadlock. II the representations Of
the railroads true and the insist upon
their full demands, refusing to accept what it
is in the power OF the railroads to give, then, it
would seem that there is nothing for the EN-
Ployes to do except to begin a useless strike that
would cost them millions OF dollars, blight the
countrys prosperity and gain nothing in the end
because so long as the railroads refuse to operate
at loss there is nothing to gain.
Perhaps, however, the situation is not quite
50 inelastic 1t may be that still further econo-
mics in operation-even though adding more to
the inconvenience Of the travelling and shipping
publican be put into effect, making it pos
sble to avoid disastrous strike if the men will
modify their demands. 1t is we'll known, Of
course that the revenues of the railroads have
increased in the past year more, a circum-
stance that doubt explains in part the per
emptory attitude OF the employees; but the rail-
road officials, taking account Of the probability
that with the end Of the war earnings will fall
away more rapidly than they increased, can hardly
be expected to commit themselves to a wage and
hour schedule based on the abnormal revenues
OF the moment
BY some of the railway officials it has been
proposed that the controversy be submitted to the
Interstate Commerce Commission to which pro-
posals it is reported the employees decline to
agree If the conference of the parties in interest
fails to reach agreement, however, it is in
credible that the men will decide upon a dis
astrous strike rather than to leave their case to
the decision of this Federal railway court. 1t is
true that the Postoffice Department officials re-
sisted to the last the submission of the railway
mail dispute to the Interstate Commerce Com
mission where it properly belonged; but their
has arL- of
confidence in the merits OF their contention or on
the theory that they constituted superior branch
.of the Federal government, and is no reason why
the country's railroad employees should distrust
the commission, if they believe firmly in the
justice Of their cause. That the commission
should have jurisdiction in all such disputes ap-
pears obvious. 1t determines absolutely what the
railroads may earn, and limits the amount they
may exact for their services; and since it cannot
compel the roads to operate without profit it
would seem to be strictly within its province to
consider operating expenditures. including the
amount employees exact from the roads for their
services, that both ends may be made to meet
Certainly it, the railroads claim, they must
increase their normal rev >enues in order to meet
the demands Of the men, the commission must
Ibe consulted If the merits Of the case are sub
mitted to the commission at once and the claims
of the employees should prove convincing it is
not unreasonable to suppose that the solution Of
the problem would be at once forthcoming in the
shape of permission to the roads increase their
rates. Apparently the railroads have sufficient
confidence in the soundness OF their contention to
put 1t to the test. Why should their employees
refuse to go where the ultimate remedy must be
found: The public pays the wages Of the rail
road employees, it pays the dividends on the
stock, and both must be paid if the public is to
continue to enjoy modern transportation facilities
1t is the function of the Interstate Commerce
Commission to determine how much the public
is to pay for the service, which is represented in
wages and dividends.
Another primary.