Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-08-25

than those asked, requesting that hey
lay the matter before the 100000 UNION
members.
In this letter the president says:
"Wc are face to face with e situation
which is more likely to affect the hap
piness and prosperity and even the life
of our people than the war itself.
I'VE have now got to do nothing less
than bring our Industries and our la
! Dor of every kind back to a normal
basis after the greatest upheaval known
to llistor yand the winter just ahead Of
! us may bring suffering infinitely great
er than the war brought upon us If we
!, bluader orsfail in the process.
San admirable spirit of self-sacrifice,
of patriotic devotion and of community
action guided and inspired us while the
fighting was. on. We shall need all those
! now and need them iE a heightened de-
gree if we are. to accomplish the first
tasks of peace.
The president also explained how the
1 lgovernment hopes to end profitccring,
stimulate production and lower pnces.'
|lHe said every favorable results are al
ready beginning to appear. ''s's
The, president IS letter addressed to
ssMy fellow citizens, is-as follows:
.sThe situation has arisen in connec-
tion with the administration OF the rail-
ways which if of such general signifI-
Ica,ce that l think it my duty to make
"a public statement concerning 1T, IN or
der that the whole country may know
what is involved.
3nfThe railroad shopmen have demand
ed large increase in wages. Ihey are
now receiving So, 63 and IS cents per
hour, They demand S5 cents per hour.
This demand has. been given careful and
serious consideration by the board which
was constituted by the railroad admin
istration to adjust questions OF wages,
and the board consisting of an equal
number of representatives of employees
and of the operating managers OF the
railroad companies.
This board has been unable to come
to an agreement and i has, therefore,
devolved on the director general OF
railroads and myself to act upon the
merits of the case.
| The SuOplutu III S0 lnob bhSy w ~.
titled to higher wages because OF the
higher wages for the present received
by men doing similar work in ship.
yard, navy yards and arsenals, as well
as in a number Of private industries
but concur with the director general
in thinking that there is no real basis
4 of comparison betweed the settled en-
ployment afforded mechanics by the
! railroads under living conditions as val
/. ious as the locations in surroundings
: of the railway shops themselves and
T the fluctuating employment afforded
! in industries, exceptionally and tempo
/, rarily stimulated by the war and To-
Gated almost without exception in in
dustrial centers where the cost Of llv
e ing is highest.
1.-THE substantial argument which
n the shopmen urge is the very serious
|. increase in the cost of living. This is
ia very potent argument, indeed. But
= the fact is that the cost Of living hal
t. certainly reached its peak and will
:, probably be lowered by the efforts
q which are now everywhere being con
n certed and carried out. Itewill certain
e ly be lowered SO soon as there are set
!. tied conditions Of production and com
! merce; that is, so soon as the treay Of
\ peace is ratified and in operation ant
= merchants manufacturers, farmers
: finers all have a certain basis Of cal
9 culation as to what their business viii
4 be and what the conditions will be un
der which it must be conducted. Th'
lei demands of the shopman, therefore
/ and all similar demands are in effec
le this: .sc5ea
p .sThat we make increase in wage
d. which are likely to be permanent j
sr order to meet a temporary situation