Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-04-11
THE BALTIMORE & OHIO r. r.
EMPLOYEES INDIGNANT
'If You Would Enjoy the Fruit Pick
Not the Flower"
(By John Bush)


paper had reached the homes Of the
subscribers, the writer was called up
on by a large delegation of shopmen.
The spokesman, a soldier boy, said in
part: eve were requested by num-
Der of men from the B. & O. to see
you and express their sentiments re-
lative to an article which appeared in
one of our city dailies tonight under
the title, "New Cycle of Railway
Wages" and although the article is
credited to the Railway Age, we con-
tend that it meets the approval of the
publisher and expresses his attitude
toward the railway employees, or it
would not have been published We
are all subscribers to the Leader,
patronize those who advertise in it
and do all we can to further it's in
terest and promote the principles
which it advocates, and we would ask,
in behalf of the employees as a whole,
that you express their sentiments"
Not having seen the article referred
to, the writer, after the departure of
his visitors, secured a copy Of the
paper and after reading and thor
oughly analyzing the story was con-
vinced the storm of Indignation it
aroused was more than justified. 1t
is much too long to reproduce in its
entirety, but its substance may be
CLEANED from the following extracts:
"Less than a year ago the Railroad
Wage Commission made it's report
recommending advances in wages to
all classes Of employees which it was
estimated would amount to about
$300,000,000 a year. There were nu-
merous complaints that the advances
made were too small. Director
General McAdoo made further adj
vances in the wages of the shop en-
ployes roughly estimated at $780,
100000 to $200O00,000 a year. This
was the first of a series Of advances
made to special classes of employees
which have made the total advances
to date $8O0,O0O,000 year.
"The shop employees who were
granted the first special advance last
year have recently presented a peti-
ton for another large advance.
care they entitled to higher wages ?
They base their petition on the
grounds that the rates established
last year are inadequate and that a
further increase is needed to meet
the ever-rising cost of living. But
the cost of living will continue to tined
upwards rather than downward if
vast advances of wages in the various
industries are to continue.
"The expenses of the railways are
now out of all proportion to their
earnings in spite Of the large in
creases in rates. Have railway en-
ployes, whose wages now average As
per cent more than a year ago, a
better right to still further advances
than the public has to protection from
the increases of taxes, or rates, OF
both, that further advances in wages
would render necessary?
"The enormous advances in wages
were made in such way that the
press and public were not informed.
The failure to give adequate publicity
to these matters was not justifable
even in time of war. The public has
to pay the bill and has a right to
know what and why it is asked to pay.
"The railroad administration should
see that the public is informed as to
exactly what the railway shop en-
ployes are asking. Then the public
will be able to form an intelligent
opinion as to the reasonableness and
justice of what is demanded and what
is done.
1t seems strange that the public is
unable to form an intelligent opinion
as to the reasonableness of the wage
increase asked for. There can be but
one reason for their inability and that
is because the subsidized press de-
votes so much time and space to ar
ticles that have a tendency to impair
the moral principles of the Federal
Government, that they cannot publish
the statements made by the Director
General, the United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the Wage Board of
Railway Employees and many others.
If the public was as we'll informed of
the immense profits made by some of
the big industries and the waste of
money caused by men who are in
power, that are endeavoring to con-
vey to the minds of the public the
idea that government control of the
railroads is a failure as they are of
the cost of living, there would be no
danger that things that are neither
reasonable nor just will be done.
The United States Bureau Of Labor
statistics show that the so-called high
wages paid since the war started can
not reach high living cost. Food
prices, as a whole, advanced 43 per
cent between September 1914, and
September 1917, and wages 33 per
cent. These figures do not include
increases in the cost of clothing,
shoes, shelter and numerous sundries
that are necessary for the mainte-
nance of American living standards.