Evening journal., 1919-08-26

'reSSed TO MY Fellow Citizens" and
MY FELLOW CITIZENS; A sit
uation has arisen in connection with
the administration Of the railways
which is OF such general signiil-
cance that / think II my duty TO
make a public statement concerning
it in order that the whole country
may know what is involved.
The railroad shopmen have de-
manded a large increase in wage.
They are now receiving %, 63 and
IS cents per hour. They demand s.
cents per hour. This demand has
been given careful and serious con-
sideration by the board which was
constituted by the Railroad Ad-
minisiration TO adjust questions Of
wages, a board consisting Of an
squal number Of representatives OF
employees and OF the operating man
ayers Of the railroad companies.
This board has been unable TO come
20 an agreement, and 10 has there
fore devolved upon the Director
General OF Railroads and myself 10
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
received by men doing a similar
work in shipyards, navy yards and
arsenals. as well as in a number Of
private industries. but ! concur
with the DirectOr-General in think
ing that there is no real basis Of
comparison between the settled em-
plOyment afforded mechanics by the
railroads under living conditions as
various as the location and sur
roundings OF the railway shops
themselves and the fluctuating en-
ployment afforded in industries ex-
ceptionally and temporarily stimu-
lated by the war and located almost
without exception in industrial CEN
tres where the cost Of living Is
highest.
The substantial argument which
the shOpmen urge is the very Sc
rious increase in the cost of living.
This is a very potent argument in
deed 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 concerted and carried
out. 70 will certainly he lowered so
soon as there are settled conditions
Of production and Of commerce:
that Is. so soon as the treaty Of
peace is ratified and in operation
and merchants. manufactures, farm
ers, miners all have a certain basis
Of calculation as 10 what their
business will be and what the con-
ditions will be under which 10 must
be conducted The demands Of the
In his statement 90 the represent
GENTLEMEN: / request that you
lay this critical matter before the
men In a new light. The vote they
have taken was upon the question
whether they should insist upon the
wage increase they were asking or
consent 10 the submission of their
claims 10 a new tribunal. 10 be con-
stituted by new legislation. That
question no longer has any life in
If. Such legislation is not now I'm
contemplation. ! request that you
whole matter in view Of the follow
Ing considerations. to which | ask
thsir thoughtful attention as Ameri-
cans. and which ! hope that you
will lay before them as I here state
them:
We are face 10 face with a situa-
ton which is more likely 10 affcct
the happiness and prosperity, and
even the life. Of our people than
the war itself. We have now got to
do nothing less than bring our in
dustries and our labor Of every
kind back TO a normal basis after
the greatest upheaval known in
history. and the winter Just ahead
Of us may bring suffering infinitely
greater than the war brought uFon
MS II we blunder or fail in the pro-
cess.
An admirable spirit OF self-sacri-
fee. Of patriotic devotion. and OF
community action. guided and in
spired us while the fighting was on.
We shall need all these now, and
need them in a heightened degree.
IL We arc 10 accomplish the first
tasks Of peace. They are more dif-
fcult than the tasks Of war-more
complex. less easily understood
and require more intelligence. pa
tince. and sobriety. We mobilized
our man power for the fighting. let
rs now mobilize our brain power
and our consciences for the recon-
struction. II we fail 1t will mean
national disaster.
The very first step is TO increase
production and facilitate transpor-
iatlon. so as TO make up for the
destruction wrought by the war, the
terrible scarcities II created, and so
as soon as possible relieve our peo-