The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-03-17

in many Russian cities since Thurs
day.
80 -.
obtain for the employees the purpose
of the law.
1T goes without saying that rail
road employees have been patient and
loyal to the interests of the country
and In the event Of war have offer
cd their services to the governme ent.
1t must not be overlooked that dur
ing this period when the railroads
have persistently denied their EN-.
ployes that which was intended hy
the president in his proposition and
which was intended by the congress
in the Adamson law. the railroads
during years period show net earn.
ings Of over $1,000, 100000, while the
employees with no increase in wages
have suffered an increase in cost of
living equal to more than 10 ser
cent.
"If after more than a year we havc
failed to get some relief and train
and enginemen conclude to fold their
hands and starve in reality rather
than by degrees. should they be con-
sidered as disloyal to their flag?
why not place some of the re-
sponsibility on the employers who
can very easily stop all talk of st6p-
page Of trains by recognizing that
such employees must either lower
their standards Of living or they must
work longer than ten hours out of
each "a in order to retain American
standards"
Joseph Hartigan, city commissioner
or weights and measures, who had
appealed to the brotherhoods to per-
mit the movement Of food trains into
this city, received O. letter signed Ly
the chiefs of the four organizations in
which they said the strike call had
oecn SO arranged that the movement
OF food and fuel into New York city
would not be stopped for several days
arter the strike begins on certain
eastern roads. The letter follows:
Every indication now seems to war;
rant the statement that the freight
trains. engine and yard employees on
certain railways entering this city will
peacefully withdraw from service at
p. m. Saturday. March II, and that
the employees on other lines will con-
'ihue service for several days there
aiter' r'aking it possible, in our opin-
'on' to furnish this city food and fuel
supplies for several days after the
strike becomes effective.
we regret exceedingly the neces-
s''y OF inconveniencing the public in
any way and have declined to give
our approval for the stoppage of the
work OF regular road passenger en-
pioyes for a period of five days after
the strike becomes effective, the re-
suit of which will be that regular
milk trains and passenger trains
handling only passenger eouipment
can operate as usual"
In his statement to the New York
central employees, President Smith
said:
concerning the controversy now in
progress regarding wages of emplovcs
III train service. wish to give you
the Following facts for your informa-
ton:
THE position Of this componv l.;
that we should properly await the
decision of the supreme court which
now has the Adamson law undor con-
sideration. We have joined with the
other railroads in saying to YOUR rep
resentatives who are in session here
that If the Adamson law is doc,ore1
you are automatically
taken care Of. Should any question
arise es to the Interpretation Of the
law which we can not readily agree |
upon among ourselves. we shall be |
glad 70 abide by any award made in
The matter by the Goethals commits
'ioi. which was appointed by the gov
errment to investigate the question.
Should the Adamson law be de-
Jared unconstitutional. the Goethals
shall act as intermediary
md declare what Is equitable and we
shall abide by it's decision. which shall
late from January 1, 1917.
You are all aware that the people