Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-26

the confident hope that substantial
relief will result and result in in
creasing measure. A general in
crease in the levels of wages would
check and might defeat all this at
its very beginning. Such increases
would inevitably raise, not lower.
the cost of living. Manufacturers
and producers of every sort would
have innumerable additional pre-
texts for increasing profits and ali
efforts to discover and defeat
profiteering would be hopelessly
confused. l believed that the pres
ent efforts to reduce the costs of
living will be successful, if no new
elements Of difficulty are thrown in
the way; and confidently count
upon the men engaged in the service
OF the railways to assist, not OBJ
struct. 1t is much more in their in
terest to do this than to insist upon
wage increases which will undo
everything the government attempts.
They are good Americans along
with the rest of US and may, am
sure, be counted on to see the point.
Wait and See.
1t goes without saying that if our
efforts to bring the cost of living
down should fail after we have
had time enough to establish either
success or failure, it will, of course.
be necessary to accept the higher
costs OF living as permanent basis
OF adjustment, and railway wages
should be readjusted along with the
rest. All that l am now urging is
that we should not be guilty of the
inexcusable Inconsistency of making
general increases in wages on the
assumption that the present cost of
living will be permanent at the
very time that we are trying with
great confidence to reduce the cost
OF living and are able to saw that
1t actually is beginning to fall.
l am aware railway employees
have sense of insecurity as 70 the
future OF the roads and have manv
mlsglvings as to whether their in
terests will be properly safeguarded
when the present form of federal
control has come to an end. No
doubt it is in part this sense of
uncertainty that prompts them to
insist that their wage interests be
adjusted now, rather than under
conditions which they cannot GER
talnly foresee. But | do not think
their uneasiness is we'll grounded.
| anticipate that legislation deal
ing with the future of the railroads
will in explicit terms afford protec-
ton for the interests of the en-
ployes of the railroads, but quite
apart from that, it is clear that no
legislation can make the railways
other than what they are, a great
public interest and it is not likely
that the president of the United
States, whether in possession and
control of the railroads or not. will
lack opportunity or persuasive force
to influence the decision of uucs-
tons arising between the managers
of the railroads and the railway
employees. The employees may rest
assured that, during my term of Of
flee, whether | am in actual possess
sion of the railroads or not, I shall
not fail to exert the full influence
of the executive to see that Justice
is done them.
| believe therefore that they NAV
be justified in their confidence that
hearty cooperation with the gov
eminent now in its efforts to reduce
the cost of living will by no means
be prejudicial to their own inter-
ests, but will, on the contrary, pre-
pare the way for more favorable
and satisfactory relations in the fu-
ture.
| confidently count on their CO.
operation in this time of national
test and crisis.
After their visit to the White
House the shipments repre- sentatives
conferred with the director general
at the railroad administration. Later
they went into conference at the
American Federation of Labor head
quarters, and at midnight, so far as
could be learned, still were discuss
ing the recommendation to be sub
mitted to the union membership,
which numbers about 100000.
Acting President Jewell said a
statement setting forth the attitude
of the union heads would be issued
as soon as a decision was reached.