The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-26
Wilson Appeals to Railroad Men
and Public in Answer to Demands

III Ill AllSWCI ID DCllldllOS
companies. This board has been IN
able to come to an agreement, and it
has therefore devolved upon the direc-
tor of railroads and myself to act
upon the merits of the case.
"The shopmen urge that they are
entitled to higher wages because OF
the higher wages for the present re-
ceived by men doing similar work in
shipyards. navy yards and arsenals,
as well as in a number of private In
dustries, but l concur with the director
general in thinking that there is no
real basis Of comparison between the
settled employment afforded mechan-
les by the railroads under living con-
ditions as various as, the locations
and surroundings of the railway shops
themselves and the fluctuating en-
ployment afforded in Industries excep-
tionally and temporarily stimulated by
the war and located almost without
exception in industrial centers where
the cost Of living Is highest.
Argument Is Potent.
1.-THE substantial argument which
the shopmcn 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 probab-
| ly be lowered by the efforts which are
now everywhere being concerted and
carried out. 1t will certainly be lower
ed as soon as there are settled condl-
lions of production and Of commerce;
that is, SO soon as the treaty Of peace
is ratified and in operation and mer-
chants, manufacturers, farmers. and
miners all have a certain basis of cal
| culation as to what their business will
be and what the conditions will be
under which 1t must be conducted.
The demands of the shopmen, there
fore, and all similar demands are IN
effect this: that we make increases
in wages which are likely to be per-
manent, in order to meet tempo
rary situation which will last no one
can certainly tell how long, but IN
all probability only for limited time
Increases in wages will, moreover, GER
tainly result in still further increasing
the costs 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 al
this time would utterly crush the gen
eral campaign which the government
is waging, with energy, vigor and SUB
stantial hope of success, to reduce the
high cost of living. And the increases
In the cost of transportation which
would necessarily result from In
creases in the wages of railway EN-
ployes would more certainly have thai
effect than any other enhanced wage
costs. Only by keeping the cost Of
production on it's present level. by in
creasing production and by rigid econ
omy and saving on the part of the
people can we hope for large de
creases in the burdensome cost of lv
ing which now weighs us down.
Face Difficult Task
1.-THE director general Of railroads
and l have felt that peculiar response
bility rests upon US, because in de
termining this question we are no
studying the balance sheets of corpor
atoms merely; we are in effect con
sidering the burden of taxation which
must rest upon the people of the coun
try in general. We are acting, not TO
private corporations, but in the nam
of the government and the public, ant
ingly. For it is neither wise no
feasible to take care Of increases il
the wages of railroad employees at thi
time by increases in freight rates. l
, is impossible at this time until peac
. has come and normal conditions ar
restored, to estimate what the earning
, capacity Of the railroads will be whel
ordinary conditions return. There !
| no certain basis, therefore, for calcr
: lating what the increases of freigh
? rates should be, and 1t is necessary
for the time being at any rate, to tax
care of all increases in the wages 9
railway employees through appropris
2 lions from the public treasury.
I'm such circumstances, it seem
: clear to me, and l believe will seer
? clear to the shopmen themselves, whe
they have taken second thought, an
to all wage earners Of every kind, tina
, we ought to postpone questions {
> this sort until normal conditions com
Y again and we have the opportunit
: for certain calculations as to the relt
I ton between wages and the cost {
$ living. 1t Is the duty Of every cit
/ zen of the country to insist upon
t truce in such contests until intelliger
9 settlements can be made and mad
4 by peaceful and effective commo
t council. l appeal to my fellow cit
< zens Of every employment to co-ope
|. ate also in insisting upon and mail
g taing such a truce, and to co-operat
l also in sustaining the government
= what conceive to be the only cours
l. which conscientious public servant
I can pursue. Demands unwisely mad
l. and passionately insisted upon at th+
a time menace the peace and prosperit
t of the country as nothing else coul
I and thus contribute to bring abol
& the very results which such demand
r are intended to remedy.
g One Claim is Just
= There is, however, one claim mad
I by the railway shopmen which ougf
). to be met. They claim that they al
I, not enjoying the same advantages thu
other railway employees are enjoyin
5 because their wages are calculate
9 upon a different basis. The wages {
L other railway employees are based u
on the rule that they are to receiv
y for eight hours work the same pa
L thew received for the longer work da