Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-04
PROHIBITING STRIKES

Not the least important part Of the, Cunnains phn
OF railway management is that which prohibits strikes
and loekouts under severe penalties. The railroads are
the arteries Of the country, through which circulates the
economic life-hlood of our economic system. Let the cir
culation be checked, and the whole body passes into a
state of coma which, If not speedily relieved, must Result
in death. We complain of high prices, and with good
this time is not the scale of prices Al which goods sell.
but the state Of uncertainty a. to whether or not we will
be able to obtain goods at the present prices, OF. at any
prices. And that state Of uncertainty is based very large
II on the existence or the innminence Of strikes On the
great industries Of the country. Peoplelof the northwest
are clanoring for coal to tide them over the winter. The
price is high, but they have money to pay the price. They
cannot get the coal now, and they have no certainty Of
being able to get it at all, because there have been strikes
in the mines and on the docks, and coal which now should
be in the bins Of the consumer is either unnined in the
ground or In transit, with the date Of delivery unknown.
At the time Of the year when the need for sugar Is great
est the entire population has been placed on famine al
lowance because. groups Of men along the water front
have been out on strike. The man who needs building
material is confronted by strikes in the trades which pro-
duce that material And no man can safely enter into a
contract today to do anything without taking into account
this uncertainty, and charging for the risk. If it were
known positively that there would be no strikes for d
definite period, prices Of a multitude Of commodities could
Dc seated DOWN very materially without 1npAtr1nE any,
ones profits, leaving necessary Individual adjustments to
be made as they could be reached.
In the whole situation there is nothing else which
confronts the country with such disastrous possibilities as
the menace Of a great railway strike. The railroad strike.
goes right to the root of our economic life. Whatever
may be the wise policy as to ownership and character of
operation. it is the business of the government to see that
the trains run, and that adequate and uninterrupted SER
vice is given the entire country. That cannot be done if
strikes are permitted: Adequate wages should be paid.
Reasonable hours should be observed. But the adequacy
Of wages and the reasonAbleness Of hours and general
conditions OF service should be aecertained by impartial
investigation, and in the meantime the business should
go on. i
It Is the business Of the cuznnins bill to accomplish
this. All matters pertaining to the relations hetween: en-
ployer ana enploye are referred to 4 commission on
which all parties Interested are represented. That COM
mission is charged By the terms Of the bill to take into
account the compensation given for similar WORK in other
lines. the cost of living, and the risk and tenure Of service.
There need be no fear that tho findings Of such a COM
rnissdon will not be just. And, while the Investigation is
in progress the trains must be run, and service must be.
given to the public.
Such an arrangement is fair and rational Without
it the whole country win be plunged into a state Of chaos.