The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-09-16
RAILROAD STRIKE
ONLY POSTPONED
Prediction That Country Must Face
Next Year Renewal of
Trainmen s Threat.

There has been published in Justlflea-
ton of the President s surrender to the
railway brotherhoods an extract from
the report of the arbitrators Ill the case |
of the conductors and trainmen in 1913, |
descriptive of the appalling effects a |
suspension of all transportation within |
the trunk line territory would produce.
The arbitrator seem to have enter |
tanned no doubt of the complete sue
cess of the strike that vas threatened, |
and regarded the safety of general bus
mess as a reason for yielding in part to
the demands of the men. The President
also assumed the complete success of the
strike and entertained no doubt that
prudence demanded unconditional sur
render.
We have no disposition to minimize
the damage to business Of even b par
tial suspension of transportation, and
much NAV be said in behalf of the Pres
ident, who, believing the concession to
the brotherhoods the only way Of saw
ing the nation from starvation, urged
surrender.
But, of course, the inevitable con-
flict is only delayed. The men who
threatened to tie up the business Of the
country in 1918, 1914 and 1915 have
repeated the threat, this time peremp-
torily, in 1916, and will repeat it i'll
1917 and 1913 and 1919, or until they
encounter resistance that they cannot
overcome.
But could they tie up the entire
transportation system9 They said they
: could. They would necessarily say that
to make their threat effective. It is
4 just possible they were making bluff.
n What would happen to the country in
I the event of a complete paralysis of
$ transportation was not exaggerated In
: the report of the arbitrators a few years
0 ago, or in the address of the President
to congress. But could they make good
II their threat2
y The railroad managers are as likely
h to know what could be done as the
brotherhoods, and they say that the
latter could not have succeeded. There
are several indications that although
the votes to strike were carried by enor
nous maiorities not all the members Of
the brotherhoods would have obeved the
order. There is always a good deal Of
leakage from the unions and there
- would have been more than usual from
:, these brotherhoods because most Of thu
- railroads have pension systems, and re
Is lief organizations, and various beneti
have cut themselves off by striking.
And then, the brotherhoods are bu
small minority of the whole list O
railway employees, and they are tn
better paid employees. There are ten
of thousands of men in the railway ser
vice who would be glad to get suel
places as those the brotherhood mel
proposed to give up. The railway man
ayers who have been facing the posi-
q bility of nationwide strike for man,
months have not been idle. They hav
been preparing to meet the issue. The,
regarded themselves as ready. The,
q were confident that there would not b
d anything like a universal tie-up; tina
q the members of the brotherhoods VIII
q would refuse to strike, and the me
81 otherwise employed on the railroad
81 would suffice to keep food and maj
n trains moving, and if the strike fe
IS very considerably short of complete
ness. thousands Of the brotherhood me
would get weak knees and seek thei
- old places before the general collapse
Ter The threats of the men intimidate
or the President and congress, and til
les country is thankful that it escaped
Ily serious interruption of business. BIT
on the President had no warrant in assun
is, ing the complete success of the strlk
lat and the issue that was evaded this tin
Ter will have to be met next year or tt
RS. year after. The men will make furth'
Die demands, and refuse arbitration, and
the very near future the test of strengt
in will have to come. Probably the me
tie would have failed this time. They WI
in certainly have to fail at some time
New York journal of Commerce al
Commercial Bulletin.