The north Mississippi herald. (Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., Miss.) 1888-1929, 1919-08-29
100000 RAILROAD SH0PMEN
VOTING NATION WIDE STRIKE
President Wilson Issues Appeal Railroad Men to De-
fer Action Until Business Gets Settled Workingmen
Representatives Refuse the Presidents Proposition and
Nation wide Strike Vote is Now Being Taken.

les by the railroads under living con
ditions as various as the location and
surroundings of the railroad shops
themselves and the fuctuating en-
ployment afforded in industries ex-
ceptional and temporarily stimulated
by the war and located almost with
out exception in industrial centers
where the cost of living is highest.
H. c. L. Enters In.
''The substantial argument which
the shopmen urge is the very serious
increase in the cost of living. This is
a very potent argument indeed But
the fact is that the cost of living has
certainly reached its peak and will
probably be lowered by the efforts
which are now every where being
concentrated and carried out It will
certainly be lowered as soon as there
are settled conditions Of commerce.
And that is as soon as the treaty of
peace is ratified and in operation and
merchants, manufacturers, farmers
and miners all have a certain basis
of calculation as to what their busi-
ness will be and what the conditions
win be under which it must be con-
Quoted. The demands of the shop
men therefore, and all similar de-
mands are in effect this: That we
make increase in wages which are
likely to be permanent, in order to
meet temporary situation which will
last, no body can certainly tell how
long, but in all probability only for
limited time.
Would Make 1t Higher.
Increase in wages will moreover
result in still further increasing the
cost of production, and therefore the
cost of living and we should only
have to go through the same process
again. Any substantial increase of
wages in leading lines of industry at
this time would utterly crush the gem
eral campaign which the government
is waging with energy, vigor and sub
stantial hope of success, to reduce
the high cost of living.
Wait for Normal Condition.
I'm such circumstances, it seems
clear to me and believe, it will seem
clear to every thoughtful American,
including the shopmen themselves,
when they have taken second thought
and to all wage earners of every
kind, that we ought to postpone ques-
tons of this sort until normal condi-
tons come again and we have the op-
portunity for certain calculations as
to the relations between wages and
the cost of living. 1t is the duty of
every citizen of the country to insist
upon truce in such contests until in
telligent settlements can be made,
and made by peaceful and effective
common counsel. | appeal to my fell
low citizens of every employment to
cooperate in insisting upon and
maintaining such a truce, and to CO.
operate also in sustaining the govern
ment in what / conceive to be the
only course which conscious public
servants can pursue. Demands un-
wisely made and passionately insisted
upon this time menace the peace and
prosperity of the country as nothing
else could, and this contributes to
bringing about the very results which
such demands are intended TO rem
edy.
One Claim to Meet.
There is however one claim by the
railway shopmen which ought to be
met. They claim that they are not en-
joying the same advantages that 9th
er railways employees are enjoying,
because their wages are calculated
upon a different basis. The wages of
other railway employees are based
upon the rule that they are to receive
for eight hours work the same pay
they received, longer work day that
was the usual standard of the pre-
war period. This claim is, / am told,
well founded; and ! concur in the
conclusion of the director general
that the shopmen ought to be given
the additional four cents an hour
which the readjustment asked for will
justify. There are certain other adj
justments, also, pointed out in the
report of the director general which
ought in fairness to be made, and
which will be made.
Let me add, also, that the posi-
ton which the government must in
conscience take against general in
creases in wage levels while the pres
ent exception and temporary eircum-
stancs exist will, of course, not pre-
lude the railroad administration for
giving prompt and careful considera-
ton to any claims that may be made
by other classse of employees for re-
adjustments believed to be proper to