Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-14
HASTEN THE TUNNEL

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the Hudson river between Jersey City and New York. The ir-
responsibility of the men who work in the ferryboats make the
ferries absolutely unreliable.
The inconvenience caused by the tying up of the boats is
the least of the consequences of the strike, although the in
convenience alone is sufficient reason for making such tie-ups
impossible as soon as other means of transportation can be
provided.
In the first place, the lives of the millions of people in the
country's metropolis are endangered through no fault of their
own. They are face to face with famine or at least a lack of
proper nourishment due to The scarcity Of food.
Another phase of the strike is the awful waste and loss of
time. Food enough to feed a million people is roting and will
have to be thrown away. The money that has been spent in its
transportation as far as the piers is like so much money thrown
away.
Think of the time wasted by these thousands of strong,
husky men as they stand about in idIeness when everybody who
gives the subject any thought realizes that the only solution to
our present high prices and unsettled conditions is to increase
production.
Today there is a great scarcity of sugar. Some days it is
impossible 10 get more than a pound at a time in order that
there may be enough to go around.
Much of the sugar that we use comes from Cuba. Reports
tell us that the crop there has been ample, but ships are not
available to transport the sugar to this country.
In the meantime hundreds of vessels lie idle at their docks
in New York because the longshoremen refuse to unload them.
The public can have little sympathy with such a strike as
is now on in New York harbor.
In the first place, it was called in a most contemplate and
outrageous manner. Without any warning the ferryboat crews
quit in the middle 6fthe night so that thousands of commuters
many of whom had the ~friendliest feeling toward the men,
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of itself as best it could.
The strike was also a deliberate violation of the agree
ment entered into by the men when the previous strike, not so
many months ago, was settled apparently to the satisfaction of
both sides.
OF what use is an agreement If one side is to violate it
whenever it sees fit? This applies to both capital or labor.
If agreements and awards become mere scraps of paper,
the public loses confidence. If two contending sides cannot get
together and straighten out their differences peacefully then
the only means left is to fight it out. That means civil war OF
revolution.
But this so-caIled direct action is not the accepted way
of doing things under our form of government. This is a gov
srnment "of the people by the people and for the people," as
Soncoln said.
The great mass of people desire only to see the right thing
done. They want a square DEAF for all.
But we cannot have a square deal' if, when differences
srise and the two contending sides accept the services of a
third party to s%traighten out those differences and then, after
agreeing to what the third party decides, one of the contendng
parties suddenly and without notice violates the whole thing.
There is nothing American in that. And, after all, this is
America.
Those who don't like the way we do things in America
had better go somewhere else. But we believe that they will
have a hard time finding a better place.
Much of all this trouble is caused by agitators who would
rather talk and crate than earn an honest living. They thrive
on creating disturbances. They are as leeches on the real
Workingman.
The public in general has little use for such breed. The
workdngman who is deluded into believing that he can keep on
getting everything he wants by merely making the demand re-
CARELESS of the rights of others is under false leadership.
The outcome Of the present tenn in New York harhnrl