New-York tribune., 1918-05-10

SO If the full amount of the claims were
granted we should still be met with prob
lem impossible of certain soluton-the
proportionate share out of the total wage
fund that should go to any one.
Arbitrary Values
In the world of economies this situation
has been met by the simple application of
supply and demand, which is in turn now
varied affected and modified by those linn
itations arising out of the artificial but nee
essary and historic methods of collective
bargaining.
These forces have classified employments.
In the growth of the railroads there has
consequently been evolved no other plan for
such classification and no scientific relation
ship between the wages paid. The proposal
that new classification should be attempted
is one which, to say the least, may not be
accepted now.
Labor's Advantage
An unprecedented call had come for men
of certain trades in connection with the new
industries that had been created by the war
in Europe, and this long before our entry
into the conflict. Machinists and ironwork-
ers of all kinds found themselves to be
essential to the great muniton plants, and
day labor of the most unskilled character
rose into high demand. To meet this COM
petition the roads had advanced wages, by
SLOW steps at first and later more rapidly.
1t is hardly realized that the roads them
selves have in two years, 1916 and 1917, in
creased wages approximately $780, 10000
year, if applied to the present number of
their employees.
But these advances were not in any way
uniform, either to employments or as to
amounts or as to roads, so that one class
of labor benefited much more than another
on the same road, and as between roads
there was the greatest divergence. The
situation had been dealt with as pressure
made necessary, and naturally those who. by
organization or through force of competi
tion, could exert most pressure Jared best.
Things came to head just before the gov
ernmcnt took over the railroads. Another
three months of private management and we
would have seen much more extensive con-
cessions in wages, or there would have fol-
lowed unfortunate series of labor dis
turbances. The government therefore has
now to meet what would have come about in
the natural course.
Indeed, the impatience of the men was
only allayed, after government intervention.
by the assurance that the matter of wages
would be promptly taken up and that the
awarded increases would be retroactive as
VI CdHuaTy l. OF tnlS year.
No Threats
The government now enjoys this position
of distinction: 1t is not yielding to threats:
it is not compelled to course by fear Of
any unpatriotic outburst; it is not making
concessions to avoid disaster. There has
been no hint that such a policy would be
pursued by those who have it within their
power The right thing "at this time" a
measure Of Justice, consideration for the
needs OF the men, whether organized or un-
organized, whether replaceable or not re-
placeable--these are the standards that we
have sought to meet.
We have had a most exhaustive study
made of the cost of living to-day as con-
trasted with the cost of living in the latter
part of 1915, when by the reaction of the
European war the American people first felt
keenly the increase in the burdens of life
and the need. for higher wages. This study