The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-29

.'Cities will be cut off from their |
food supplies-the whole commerce OF
the nation will be paralyZed, men OF |
every sort and occupation will be
thrown out of employment Countless
thousands will in all likelihood be
brought, it may be. to the very point
OF starvation, and traglcai natlohaI
calamity brought on to be added TO
the other distresses of the time, be-
cause no basis or accommodation OF |
settlement has been found.
Just so soon as it became evident |
that mediation under the existing law
had failed and that arbitration mad
been rendered impossible. by the att-
tude of the men, L considered IL my
duty TO confer with the representatives
of both the railroads and the brother-
hoods and myself offer mediation. not
as an arbiter. but merely as a spokes- |
man of the nation, in the interest OF
Justice, indeed, and as a friend OF both
parties, but not as judge, only as the
representative of one hundred mil
lions of men. women and children who
would pay the price, the incalculable
price of loss and suffering should
these few men insist upon approaching
and concluding the matters in con-
troversy between them merely as en-
ployers and employees, rather than as
patriotic citizens of the United States,
looking before and after and accepting
the larger responsibilities which the
public would put upon them.
Urges Eight-Hour Work Day.
ut seemed to me, in considering the
subject matter of the controversy, that
the whole spirit of the time and the
preponderant evidence of recent eco
nomic experience spoke for the eight
hour day.
at has been adjudged by the
thought and experience of recent years
a thing upon which society is justified
in insisting as the interest of health,
increase of economic vigor. The
whole presum ption of modern expert
once would. it seemed to me, be in its
favor, whether there was arbiter or
not, and the debatable points to settle |
were those which arose out of the ac- |
ceptance of the eight-hour day rather
than those which affected its estab- |
lishment.
81. therefore, proposed that the eight |
hour day be adopted by the railway |
arrangements and put into practice for |
the present as substitute for the ex-
listing ten-hour basis of pay and SER |
vice that 1 should appoint, with the
permission of the congress, a small |
commission to observe the results of
the change, carefully studying the
figures of the altered operating costs
not only, but also the conditions
of labor under which the men
worked and the operation of their
existing agreement with the rail-
the facts as they found them
to the congress at the earliest possible
day, but without recommendation and
that after the facts had been thus dis
closed an adjustment should in slime
orderly manner be sought of all the
matters now left unadjusted between
the railroad managers and the men,"
No Judgment on Forecast.
These proposals were exactly in line
II is interesting to note, with the posi-
| ton taken by the supreme court of the
! United States when appealed to to
protect certain litigants from the
| financial losses which they confidentIv
expected if they should submit to the
regulation of their charges and of
| their methods of their service by pub
lie legislation. The court has held
| that it would not undertake to form a
Judgment upon forecasts but could
| base its action only upon actual ex-
perience; that it must be supplied with
facts not with calculations and opin-
ions, however scientifically attempted
To undertake to arbitrate the oues-
ton of the adoption of an eight-hour
day IN the light of results merely esti-
mated and predicted would be to nm
/ dertake an enterprise of conjecture.
NO wise man could undertake it, or if
he did undertake it, could feel assured
J OF his conclusions.
i unhesitatingly offered the friend
! ly services of the administration TO the
/ railway managers to see to it that
| justice was done the railroads in the
outcome. 1 felt warranted in assuring
them no obstacle OF law would be suf-
Tered to stand in the way of their in
creasing their revenues to meet the
! expenses resulting from the change
so far as the development of their
business and of their administrative
meet them.
Would Give Tustice
The public and the representatives
| or the public, L felt justified in as
surfing them, were disposed to nothing
but justice in such cases and were
/ willing to serve those who served
them.
1.-THE representatives of the broth
IerhoodS accepted the plan; but the rep
resentatives of the railroads declined
to accept it. In the face of what I
cannot but regard as the practical GER
tainty that they will be ultimately
obliged to accept the eight hour day by
the concerted action of organized la
Dor, backed by the favorable judgment
of society, the representatives Of
the railway management have felt jus
titled in declining a peaceful settle
ment which would engage all the
forces of justice, public and private on
their side to take care of the event.
Fear Public Sentiment.
They fear the hostile influence of
shippers who would be opposed to
an increase Of freight rates (for
which however, of course the public
itself would pay) they apparently feel
no confidence that the interstate COM
| merce commission could withstand the
objections that would be made. They
do not care to rely upon the friendly
assurances of the congress or the pres
fdent. They have thought it best that
they should be forced to Yield if they
must yield, not by counsel but by the
suffering of the country. While my
conferences with them We're in prog
ress and while to all outward appear
ance these conferences had come to
standstill the representatives of the
brotherhoods suddenly acted and set
the strike for the fourth of September.
| The railway managers based their
decision to reject my counsel in this