The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-09-06

General applause was accorded
President Wilson's action in refusing
to grant to the railway shopinen more
than slight increase of wages, and
his statement explaining his course
and appealing to the men, and to all
workers, to stop striking and get to
work to increase production and there
by help reduce the cost of living. He
declared 1t vital to public welfare that
demands for higher wages, "unwisely
made and passiOnately insisted on"
should cease, and that there should be
a truce in industrial disputes until in
|telligent settlements can be made. In
this he was supported by Warren s.
Stone, chief of the engineers, whose
statement implied that the shopmen, If
they insisted on striking, would not be
helped by the four great railway broth
|erhOods. The leaders of the shopmen
rejected the settlement offered by
President Wilson and ordered that the
locals take a vote on the question.
In his statement Mr.. Wilson called
the present a temporary situation
which will last, in all probability, only
for a limited time" and in so far as
the cost of the necessaries of life is
concerned Attorney General Palmer
agrees with him. Mr.. Palmer believes
the price of almost every necessity will
be lover next year than this, and that
persons who buy clothing and other
articles now for next year will be
fooled and are only helping to Keep
prices high. Reduction will be
brought about, he thinks, by the activ-
tiles of the government against prof
iteers and hoarders, the operation of
fair price committees, and especially
by increased production. He sees In
the arguments that induce people to
buy now an organized propaganda pro
NOTED by greedy dealers.
The department of justice an
nounced it was meeting with success
in obtaining from shoe manufacturers
promise to fix maximum prices on
shoes, and that in the matter of food
stuffs reports indicated slight down.
ward tendency, not yet sufficient to be
reflected in the retail market. In the
great food centers, however, there
were considerable declines in prices,
which perhaps were to be attributed
in part to the expressed intention of
the war department to open retail
shops in number of cities These
markets not only will dispose of the
army's surplus stores, but will be kept
open for an indefinite time for the sale
direct to the people Of supplies which
the war department will purchase at
wholesale, according to the present
plan. This, of course, aroused the OPP
position of the retail dealers, who as
sert that no government agency is au.
thorized by law to conduct such bust
ness.
The railroads of the Pacific coast
were tied up for number of days by
a strike and the officials of the unions
had ordered the men to return to work
under penalty of suspension. They
were warned by Director General
Hines that the government would take
over the operation Of the lines if they
did not at once resume their positions,
and that anyone who interfered with
the use of railroad property would be
dealt with for having committed an
oftense against the United States.
The committee of the steel and iron
workers, which was given power to
call strike unles concessions were
granted by the United States Steel
corporation, was twice refused an
audience by Ebert H. Gary, chairman
of the executive committee of the cor,
poration. being told to put its demands
in writing. Samuel Gompers, who had
just returned from Europe, at once
took hand in this serious affair and
it was announced that the executive
committee of the American Federation
Of Labor would consider Mr.. Garys
attitude and make recommendation
to the committee Of steel men on the
ACCESSIBILITY Of calling a strike.
Any idea that Uncle Sam did not In.
tend to enforce the emergency prohi-
bition law was dispelled by numerous
raids on liquor dealers in Chicago
New York and elsewhere. 1t was a
notorious fact that Intoxicating drinks
could be bought in many Of the larger
cities, at least, and the saloonkeepers
had grown carelessly brazen They
were brought to their senses by arrests
and indictments, and gentlemen Of
bibulous propensities were again
forced to draw on their private stocks.