The Washington herald., 1916-04-02
FOR CONTROL OF
RAILWAY Wages
Noted Educator Urges Gov
eminent Regulation Of Pay
to Protect the Public.
WOULD PREVENT STRIKES
Dr.. Charles R. Van Hise. President Of
the University of Wisconsin, Advo-
Gates Novel Solution Of Problem.
BY CHARLES n. VAN HIsE,


President. University q WiseUasn.
DIR. Charles r. Van Hise, president
OF the University OF Wisconsin, Is
recognized as one Of the progressive
leaders OF thought in the United,
States He has produced numerous
works on scientific and economic sub
Iects that are accepted as authorita-
tive, and his opinions upon questions
Of the day are sought perhaps more
widely than those of any other edu-
Gator In the country. DR.. Van Hise
was chairman of the arbitration board
that adjudicated the demands Of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
upon the Eastern railroads in 1912. In
this capacity he had occasion TO study
exhsustiyely the whole subject OF the
relations between the public, the rail-
ways and railway employees. His con-
illusions regarding the public neces-
sity Of making strikes impossible and
the need of governmental regulation
Of wages, expressed in the following
article were formed as a result OF
this careful study, and were published
in the report of the arbitration board
with the concurrence OF the majority
members Of the board, including
Oscar s. Strauss, Frederick N. Jud-
son. Otto NJ. Eidlitz, Albert Shaw and
Daniel Willard.
Until within a few years the holders OF
raiIroad bonds and stocks regarded the
railroads as exclusively their private
property. with which they were free to
do substantially as they pleased. The
roads were operated precisely In the
same spirit as Industrial enterprises
The cntrolling idea was to give the
largest return to the owners Of the
stocks It L. Of course, true that many
railroad managers realized that they had
certain public responsibilities, but the
latter were often regarded as secondary
considerations.
Under this old regime, in which the
railroad operators scarcely recognized
the fact that the railroads were public
utilities, railway labor controversies
were usually conducted like those OF the
great Industrial corporations. Each side
made the best bargain that was prac-
ticabIe.
The balance Of power in the control of
wages, which was first with the rail-
roads, has now passed to organized rail-
way labor. The railroad operators, I'M
der the control OF national and State
commissions, and under the control of
public opinion, are weaker than strong
ly organized unions. The latter, without
any control through commissions, are of
course also affected by public opinion,
but not so directly.
PubIic's Interest Paramount.
A railroad strike can no longer be con-
sidersd as a matter which prims rily af
fects the railroad operators and en-
ployes It does affect them and effects
them seriously; but the public is far
more deeply concerned. Indeed, the in
terests Of the public so far exceed those
of the parties to the controversy as to
render the former paramount. To this
paramount interest, both the railroad
operators and employees should submit.
II is, therefore. imperative that some
other way be found to settle differences
between railroads and their employees
than by strikes.
II this position be sound, and the rail-
road operators accept it, they are mani
testify helpless when labor organizations
ask for higher wages and threaten that
il their requests ara not granted they
will proceed to strike.
From the viewpoint OF the public It
Is an intOlerable situation when any
group Of men. whether employees or
employers. whether large or small,
have the power to decide that the
whole country shall undergo great loss
Of life. unspeakabls suffering. and loss
Of property beyond the power of de-
scriptiOn, through the stOppage of a
necessary public service. This, how
ever, is the situation which confronts
us as nation. 1t certainly is suffi
GENTLY grave to justify giving most
serious consideration to the solution of
the problem Of determining what shall
be the obligations of all of those upon
whom devOlves the continuous opera
lion Of our public utilities, and partic-
ularly the railroads
Arbitration Laws in the L. :.
Already there is a growing realiza-
tiOn that labor difficulties upon rail-
roads should not be settled by war
The first great step toward the settle
ment Of railway disputes in some other
way than by strikes was made when
tine Erdman act was passed in June.
1898, having been actively supported
by the brOtherhoOds.
The Canadian industrial disputes
act. passed in 1907, is broader than the
Erdmal act, in that it provides for the
settlement of disputes affecting not
only railroads, but industries in gem
eral. This act is a distinct advance
over the Erdman act, in that no strike
or lockout can be made by a party to
a controversy until the difficulties
have been Investigated and recommen-
dations made. The Canadian indus
trial disputes act has several features
which arc like those Of the Erdman
act. Some of its defects are also
identical with those Of the Erdman
act. These are the constitution Of the
whom Is in a nonpartisau position, and
the creation OF a separate board for
each controversy.
For the public utilities. however, there
are not only two parties TO the contro-
versy-the railroads and the employees
but a third. the public. As already men
toned, the railroads, one OF the parties
to the controversy. are subject to ma
tional and State commissions, which COM
missions are entrusted with the special
duty Of protecting the public interests.
Advances in rates cannot be made with
out the consent OF the proper commits
sions. The railroads are not only sub
iect to the commissions in rates, but are
subject to them in regard to maintain
ing adequate service. The employees OF
the railroads are not subject to con-
troll through commissions; although in
common with all organizations they are
Influenced by public opinion,
Wage Commissions the Remedy.
The aforementioned disparity of status
suggests the creation of national and
State wage commissions or labor COM
mission, which should exercise functions
regarding labor engaged at work in pub