The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1916-04-14

owners of railways and trainmer
does not concern only the parties tt
the contention, but the public also il
the fullest sense of the term. There i
a question of equity involved thai
comprehends every element Of the
transportation utilities, the owners
and the trainmen as well on the one
side. and the consuming and pro
/ ducing public on the other. This
question is so comprehensive in its
scope as to overshadow any wage
dispute between owners and opera
tors short of organized oppression
on the part OF railway managements
and that does not appear. The pub
lie will not be in sympathy with a
strike actuated by motives to OBJ
tain a higher wage for service than
is earned by skilled workmen in
other trades or employments. Es-
pecially is this true when it is known
that increased expense in operating
railroads causes increased cost OF
transportation and results in higher
cost Of living-a thing in which peO-
pie of all conditions are vitally in
terested. To indicate how such a
strike is regarded by the country and
all its interests, resolution passed
by the business people of Aberdeen
is published below; and also an ed
itorial from the Greenwood News,
showing that the sentiment embod-
led in the Aberdeen resolution is
widespread over the country:
Aberdeen. Miss, April 6. 1916.
The business men of Aberdeen
following the lead of other business
organizations of the country, have
adopted the following resolutions
with regard to the great railroad
strike with which the country is
threatened:
WHEREAS, certain grave differences
seem to be pending between the
railroads of the United States and
their train service employees, which
if not adjusted. threaten very seri-
Gus interruption of railroad trpns-
portation, and
WHEREAS, a railroad strike of all
the unions or organizations OF the
train service employees Yould hel
nothing less than NATIONAL calam-
ity and would be sure to result in
great suffering to our people as well
as entail incalculable loss far greater
than would be sustained by either
party to the controversy, be it there
fore
RESOLVED, that it is the earnest
hope and request of the business
men of Aberdeen, Miss, that the |
parties to the controversy may reach |
an agreement through negotiations;
and that, failing in this, both parties |
submit their differences to arbitra-
ton, composed of impartial busi-
ness men, and that an adjustment
of all differences may be settled be- |
tween them without imposing |
the dire results of a disastrous rail-
road strike of such immense pro-
portions upon the public.
The Greenwood News says:
Considering that the country is
just recovering from condition of
and that the average bus
II ntvvS
he can net bare living out of his
business, is it reasonable to suppose
that the public will consent now to |
further raises in railroad rates? Is it |
not. reasonable to suppose that the
public is going to be overwhelmingly
against any strike or tie-up of the
railroads by the engineers, conduc-
tors, flagmen and firemen at such a
time? How can these men win with
the public against them? The News
would be glad to see this class OF
employees get all they can
by any reasonable means, but strike
ut such time, would be fO0lhardy i
and disastrous to those who partici-
pate: the fact is strikes and l0ck-Outs
are out of date anyway. Better and
more friendly ways have been found
to settle wage disputes. These
and unions would bet II
ter a thousand times try negotiation
and arbitration. For, if they strike
At this time, they are going to wreck Il
They will suffer along1|
with the public. There was once q
Sampson who slew people with the |
aw-bone Of an ass, and afterwards
pulled down . house upon himself. II
The railroad employees should be
ware Of leaders who threaten to get
hem into such strike at time
ike this. Such leaders may do great H
narm with the law-bone, but viii /
pull the house down on them In the II
md, IL they precipitate q strike"