Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-08-21
THE RAILROAD CRISIS

President Wilson's insistence that
| the striking shopmen return to
work as a condition precedent to
| any consideration of their demand
| for a heavy wage increase, met with
hearty public approval. 1t was the
| first resolute and courageous stand
that has been made to meet a sttua-
tion growing steadily more and
more serious. tfF
The strikers in this instance had
not an inch of ground to stand on.
They had quit in open reputation
of the authority of their own chosen
leaders. 1t was out of the Ques-
| ton, of course, to deal with men
thus lawless and irresponsible to
their own laws and covenants. The
contention of the strikers was that
their deamnds, made months ago,
were met with promises of attention
eventuating only in postponements
Perhaps there was some ground for
this complaint. The problem put
up to the president and the railroad
administration was an appalling
one. The railroads were losing
over $30,000,000 monthly under
government operation. The in
crease demanded by the shopmen,
together with the inevitable de-
mands from other groups of en-
ployees, meant an addition of from
$500, 100000 to billion dollars
annually heaped upon the already
impossible deficit load.
The president and the director
general made an ineffective effort to
ha hrpk IN Thnv
requested that congress create a
special wage adjustment board to
meet and handle this and other for
midable wage demands that were
looming up in a dismaying perspec-
tive. Congress respectfully but
firmly declined to receive the ten
| dered buck. Senator Cummins
pointed out to the president and to
the director general that, under ex-
listing law. they now have all the
! power that congress could give
them in the premises. They are at
| liberty to increase wages ad libitum
and to increase freight and passen-
ger rates in proportion.
The president ana the director
general accepted this Interpretation.
| They had to, and this was the sole
outcome of much time wasted in at
tempted lodging. Meantime the
shopmen, enraged at repeated de-
their own leaders, dealing Gripping
blows to the transportation of the
entire country.
The end Is not in sight. The
granting of one railroad wage in
crease inevitably leads to still great
er demands. Out of their own
revenues 1t Is impossible for the
roads to meet even their present OPP
Grating expenses. Either congress
must appropriate to meet the deficit
or rates must be lacked up when
they are already at point where
the back of the public is almost
broken by them.
II rates are increased to meet ev-
en- proportion of this proposed
additional burden of from $780,
100000 to a billion. the high cost of
necessities will take another up
be distant when railroad rate ex-
pansion would reach the point where
industries would shut down. with all
that that implies of unemployment
in the face of staggering living ex-
penses. Then, naturally, must
come another demand for still an
other wage boost. and so on until
the inevitable smash arrives.
II has been asserted that part
of the plan to force government
ownership Of the railroads was a de-
liberate purpose so to load down the
railroads ruinous wage burdens
that their return to their owners at
the end of the year would mean a
receivership for almost every line in
the country. Whether deliberately
planned or not. that seems to be the
outcome toward which events are
driving at headlong pace.-Harvey's
Weekly.