The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-04
THE RAILROAD STRIKE.
Deplorable Secondary Consequences Of
Freight Tieup Foreseen.

side the railway world little heed Is
being paid TO "A certain cloud which
has appeared on our business horizon.
The fact Is, as the press has an
nounced, that h labor unions repre-
senting substantially all the engi-
neers. firemen. conductors and train
men in the freight service Of Ameri-
a railways are now quietly voting
to determine whether or not a united
demand shall be made for more pay.
The technical demand Is for shorter
hours at the present rates q day or
a hundred mile run. n time and a
half pay for an overtime.
The result OF the vote will soon be
known. II is expected that it will he
solid for the proposed increase. II
is further expected hat the owners OF
the railways will uniformly refuse
the demand. Both sides are very
strong. well organized and resourceful.
Both sides. II issue Is Joined. will be
griinly determined. And so the spectre
OF an industrial conflict such as Amer
lea has never seen grows.
When the struggle comes, II come
Il does. there will be the usual three
parties in interest, namely. the men.
the owners and the rest OF us. The
men and the owners will be the COM
batants. and the.rcst of US, in the first
instance. non-combatants. Each party
Will make a demand which, expressed in
general crins will he just and impera-
tive, and on the surface IL will he hard
to see how either demand can be denied.
The general demand of the men will
he for fair pay. To this there can
be but one answer: they should
have II. But their specific demand il
for the present rate OF pay for a
shorter day and time and a half al
lowance for overtime work. 1t Is TO
he expected that a referendum on the
question Of raising wages. IL taken
among those whose pay is to he af-
fcctcd, Will result in a heavy affirma-
tive vote. Fairness, however, insists
that such a referendum, however sin
cere and impressive, is M test Of the
business of the specific demands Of
the men. and there must be some other
method Of determining that.
The general demand of the owners
will be for a far return on their in
vestments. To this demand there can
be hut one answer: they are entitled
10 II. Hut they insist that at present
they are not getting il: hat over
"a. 1000 miles Of American railways are
in the hands of receivers: that the
companies hav adopted every known
economy hat they cannot wisely cur
tail necessary b~etterments and eX-
tensions; that they cannot reducc divi-
dends. generally speaking, without
cutting into the fair returns To- which
they are admittedly entitled; that
they cdunot increase their rates, be-
cause that power Is controlled by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
and thu forty-odd state commissions
These statements from the representa- :
ives OF the owners like those COM
ing from III" spokesman OF the unions,
cannot he accepted without challenge
and uvcstIgatiun They come from
Interested witnesses. bat q, must ho
anticipated that they viii I've firmly
pressed.
The genera demand ~ the rest OF
us j. ,nat We have far railway ser
vice. Let there Ice no mistake about
that We don need q professor of
political economy 10 teach us that
American lifc and business and ma
tional existence itself demand eff
cient transportation facilities. Every
schoolhoy knows that the inhabitants
of New York. T.t,Sburg or Denver
would he az the brink Of famine IL
forty-cight hours II the freight scr
. vice Of the American railway system
AZ "A whole We're cut on. The railway
men demand fair pay and the owners
demand far returns, the rest o
us are sane enough and cool enougl
l to Conccde the justice OF both postu'
! latcs. But flour and meat and mil
p must No carried to our cities, coal anc
iron and cotton must be brought e
our mills; and transportation of
character To fulf' the demands o
. present day conditions must he AZ
forded. lest the business OF the natiof
and its very people perish.
\ Meanwhile the shadow of W.
threatened conflict lengthcns. \ few
short weeks may bring the first clash
u How can the contest between the tw,
comhatants he settled? In one o
three ways. namely. mutual agree
> ment, strike or arbitration.
I We need not waste much time il
n hoping FOR mutual agreement, Tina
WOlli ne 700 cbbI 10 no true More
over. if the representatives. Of th'
Unions are right N demanding a def
mite increase of their share of rail
way earnings. If their followers ar
practically unanimous in forcing tn
demand. IL they are willing TO hacl
A up their demand to the extent Of call
ing d general strike Of the railwa,
employees Of America, II is hard Il
] see how the leaders are IN a position
: 10 negotiate. The situation afford
them no room.
The position Of the owners is nue.
the same. There is nothing new II
the present untoward aspect, eNcep
the fact that this time the contes
bids fair 10 be nationwide instead n
being confined to "A certain district o.
cluster Of roads. But the essentla
z features are familiar. There is ,
technical demand for shorter hours
!, which of curse is only another wa!
of asking for more pay and a create
share pf railway earnings, Earning
come from rates. Rates are regulate
by Government. Government vii
soon he embarrassed by a Presidential
e campaign and Will be loath TO shov
!. its hand. Owners are investors an,
are very human. They are united il
the conviction that they already re
ceive small enough return. II is no
- - tlaS ,h>,