The sun., 1916-08-29

II the railway engine drivers and
fremen and conductors n brakemen,
merely by the threat to bring about A
nationwide railroad strike. can add $780,
100000 TO their wages. while they re-
fuse to debate the question whether they
are fairly entitled to such an increase
or not. II IL safe to say that similar
action will he taken by other bodies of
railway employees. Such action would
be justified. moreover. since these other
employees are receiving lower rates of
wages In proportion to the work done
and the responsibility carried than are
the railway trainmen.
For one thing the railway officers can.
not be too highly commended. and that
Is for their strong support OF the prir.
cipIe OF arbitration Of Industrial dis.
putes. The brotherhood officers. on the
other hand. deserve the severest con.
domination for their absolute refusal to
submit their case to arbitration.
The responsibility Of defending the
interests OF the public in this great con-
troversy has fallen upon President Will
son and apparently because OF his be-
lief that n strike must be prevented at
any cost he has failed to realize that
peace may be purchased at too high a
price. When the railway presidents
urged him TO accept and apply the prin-
ciple that all industrial disputes should
he submitted to arbitration. he could
not OF course deny the soundness Of the
principle. but he declared that arbitra-
ton was impossible because the broth
erhoods would not accept 1t.
ii is time for men to stop ana inquire
seriously where we stand, when an or
ganization demands that the public 10 nj
over TO It's members a round NIFTY million
dollars a year.. refuses to arbi;rate the
question whether 1t has any Just claim
on such a sum and announces its in
tention OF stopping railway transporta-
ton lines throughout the country unless
its demands are granted forthwith.
Where shal the interests OF the public
find a defender when the President Of
the United States insists that this dc.
mand must he granted. not because it
Is just. but because Of the dire results
that will follow IL the threat is carried
out" Can any right thinking man justify
such a threat? It differs from the
threat OF the highway robber only that
1t IL made on a vastly larger scale. for
1t is a hundred million persons who are
held up instead Of o.ie.
The public Is sadly astray on another
aspect OF the controversy. and for this
also President Wilson il chiefly respon-
sible. II is he who has beclouded the
public mind with the idea that what
IN" men are lighting for is the c..a,'
hour day. He said in his statement to
tho public IN August 10:
' have" ~rccomncnici the concession of
the eight hour daY because I believe N.
concession r!gh:. The eight hour day uow
undoubtedly has tho sanction OF tn" juig-
ment OF society IN its favor. ami should
BE- adopted a. a basis for wages.
In this statement. destined to bo widely
quoted everywhere for years 80 come,
whenever A controversy over tn" hours
of labor arises. tho President saws In
words that b" supports the eight hour
da? IN order 20 settle the DISPUTE but
the proposition which he has asked the
railroads to accept has nothing whatever
IN /; to establish the eight hour day.
What he asks the railways to 10 Is 70
Increase the hourly rate of wages so that
they would pay as much wages for eigh;