South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-26

Gentlemen.
II request that you lay this criti-
cal matter before the men Boo new
light The vote they have taken
was upon the question whether they
should insist upon the wage in
crease they were asking or consent
20 the submission OF their claims 20
a new tribunal. 90 be constituted by
new legislation. That question no
longer has any life in it, Such legis-
lauon is not now in contemplation.
] request that YOU ask the men TO
reconsider the whole matter IN view
Of the following considerations. 20
which 7 ask their thoughtful atten-
ton as Americans and which I
hope that you wiz lay before them
as I here state them.
we are face 10 face with "a situ-
alton which Is more likely 20 affect
the happiness and prosperity. and
even the life, OF our people than the
war itself We have now got 10 do
nothing less than BRING our indus
tries and our labor OF every kind
back 20 a normal base after the
greatest upheaval known In history
and the winter just ahead OF Us may
bring suffering infinitely greater
than the war brought upon as if we
blunder OF fail in the process. An
admirable spirit OF self sacrifice OF
patriotic devotion, and OF commu-
nifty action guided and inspired us
while the fighting was on We shall
need all these now. and need them
in a heightened degree. If we are TO
accomplish the first tasks OF peace.
They are more difficult than the
tasks OF war - more complex. less
easily understood require more
Intelligence. patience and sobriety
we modified our man power for
the fghting, let us now mobilize our
brain power and our conscience for
the reconstruCt elton. II we fail. 10
VIII mean national disaster The
primary step is TO Increase produc-
ton and facilitate transportation so
as 10 make up for the destruction
wrought by The war and the ter
rible scarcites il created and as
soon as possible relieve our people
OF the cruel burden Of high prices
The railways are at the center of
this whole process.
Take Up PrOftcCring.
The government has taken mp
with All its energy the task OF
bringing the profteer 70 book. MAX
ing the stocks Of necessaries in the
country available az lowered prices
stimulating production and facilitat-
ing transportation and very favor
IT, lie al i.
appear. There is reason 20 enter
tain the confident hope that sub
stantial relief will result and result
in increasing measure A general
increase in the levels OF wages would
check and might defeat all this al
its very beginning Such increa ses
would inevitably raise. not lower the
cost OF living Manufacturers and
producers OF every sort would have
fnnum cradle additional pretexts for
increasing profits and all efforts "a
discover and defeat profiteerins
would be hopelessly confused. I be-
lieve that the present efforts to re.
duce the costs OF living will be sue
cessful. II no new elements OF diff
Guilty are thrown in the way: and ]
confidently count upon the men en-
gagged in the service OF the rail-
ways TO assist. not obstruct It is
much more iu their interest 10 dc
this than 10 insist upon wage in
crease which will undo everything
the government attempts They are
good Americans. along with the rest
Of US, and may. am sure be
counted on 10 see the point
ut goes without saying that 1.
our efforts to bring the cost Of liv
ing down should fail after we have
had time enough to establish either
success or failure. II will OF course
be necessary 10 accept the higher
costs OF living as a permanent ba.
sis OF adjustment. and railwa!
wages should be readtusted alonl
with the rest All that I am nov
urging IS, that we should not bt
guilty o. the inexcusa BILE inconsist
ency OF making general increases fl
wages on the assumption that the
present cost CT living will be perma
nent at the very time that we ar,
trying with great confidence 20 re
duce the cost OF living and are abb,
~ cay AAAaN ~ 81 tANAAAeAAte nc = lAAAAAtte
10 fall.
Want Interests Protected.
Z am aware that railway EN-
ployes have a sense OF insecurity n
20 the future OF the railroads anC
have many misgivings as 20 whethe
their interests Will be properly safe
guarded when the present form o
federal control has come 20 an end
No doubt II Is IN part this sense o
uncertainty that prompts them q
insist that their wage interests b,
adjusted now rather thar dnde
conditions which they cannot Ger
tainly foresee But I do not thinl
that their uneasiness Is wei
grounded I anticipate that legis
lation dealing with the future OF tht
railroad Will i'm explicit terms af
ford adequate protection for the in
terests or the employees OF the roads
but. quite apart from that. 10 is clea
that no legislation can make tn
railroads other than what they are
great public interest and 10 Is no
likely that the president OF tn
United States whether IN posses
sion and control OF the railroads q
moi Will lack nupOrfuuffy- ar uers1I