Baxter Springs news., 1919-04-25
RUNNING THE LABOR Z.
OF THE WORLD


People should learn not to speak
lightly Of Samuel GOmpers, president
OF the American Federation Of Labor;
dictator of the war policy with refer
ence to labor; and candidate for the
exalted position that viii place "run-
ming the labor of the world" in his
keeping. If the Rockefellers and the
Morgans should suddenly have the
wealth Of Croesus added to their hords
they would not be able to tell the ma
tional administration exactly what 1t
must do, as did Mr.. GOmpers in the
case Of the threatened railroad strike
in the fall of 1916, and rs he did Of
innumerable cases, almost daily, all
through the world war.
Having finished his job in the United
States in a way satisfactory to HIM
self, Mr.. Gompers has ben concerning
himself with the world situation, and
he went on q board and fixed up "in-
ternational labor legislation" and by
means Of q committee reported the
findings to the peace conference. Up
on his return to the United States the
conference looked the Gompers report
over, and thought it SHOULD be amend
ed slightly, whereupOn Mr.. GOmpers
exploded as follows: II cabled Presi-
dent Wilson that / am impelled to
protest against any amendments or
reopening Of the covenant" G
It remains to be seen whether Mr..
Gompers can dictate as freely In the
democracy Of the world" as he has
automatically done in the democracy
of America" One can hardly fail to
recognize the fact that he has done
good work in the interests Of labor.
and the country, but in these days
when kings and One-man power are
exciting so much attention, his case
ought to be considered.
Running Street Railways
War boards were created for mostly
every imaginable purpose. One Of
these had the power to raise the wages
of street car employees-and it did
it. It may have had the power to help
finance these utilities, the same as has
been done with the steam roads; but
instead of doing this sensible thing
the aforesaid board recommended
that local bankers accommodate the
utilities" This particular war board
found the street railways in predica-
ment as to how to "get by: since they
were tied by five-cent fare agree
ments. So it heaped on lot Of addi-
tional burdens, and turned the roads
loose. AS a result 500 miles Of street
railway track has been abandoned in
the United States during the past
year, and the communities that have
had to depend upon these transporta-
ton facilities have ''had 10 walk or
go afoot."
Washington has fairly gurgled with
advice to city officials regarding a re-
adjustment of the relations between
the municipalities and the street rail-
way companies. But the analysis Of
actual results from Washington shows
that the Federal government has sim
ply increased the burdens Of the utili-
ties, instead of making things better.
It costs from fifty to one hundred per
cent more to run q street railway now
than it did when the companies Sc
cured their franchises with the cities.
Still the protest against increased
fares goes up from newspapers that
used to sell for one cent, and now are
two cents; and from all classes Of bus
mess men and citizens who are sell
ing their goods and service at twice
as much as they formerly did.
Running lndustFIal AHalFS
Those who will stretch their memo
ries back to the winter Of 1914-i6.
when the bread lines were common
in the big cities, and when institutions
like the Hotel DeGink were doing q
big business in New York, are likely
to arrive at the conclusion that there
was more unemployment in the eoun-
try at that time than is represented
in the entire total Of 1, 200. 900 men IN
uniform. There were millions Of un-
people in the country before
the war; and such lack Of labor de-
mand as exists At the present time
ought to Be only temporary, and
should disappear with the resumption
Of normal activities. A good deal Of
.he apparent lack OF employment Is
doubtless due TO TIE desire for change
which seems 10 be widespread. Re
;urning soldiers are generally looking
or new occupations instead Of rstum-
nQ to thsir old posts. Coupled with
his n fhn Canadian experlenoa Is .