New Britain herald., 1919-08-02
Higher Railway Wages?
(NeW York Times. )

~{% There is not money enough in the
 world to give all workers all the
 things they want to buy, nor will sex
 cessive abundance of wage allowance
 procure corresponding service. Since
 the railway men raise the question it
 is proper to use figures, applicable to them in particular, upon a subject
 of universal application. In Class l.
 railways alone there has been an Increase. of 11O, ,415 employees under
 Federal operation. The larger num-
 Der have less work to do, and work
 shorter hours to do it.. The differ
 ence in wages paid is an increase for
 one month of SIT, 76O,6 ,601. Taking
 the enlargement of working force
 and Ht]te inerease of costs Of some
 thing less than d billion a year, while
 the railways are working at a deficit of perhaps less than a half billion for the first sixteen months of. public . operation.
 The railway men say rightly ''all of us are to blame, because we are exerting every effort to get more
 money for ourselves If any one
 wishes to exempt himself from the
 blame imputed by the railway mems
 spokesman, let him speak up, for there is no case publicly known. MT. ; Lee further says, Every day prof. teers are taking double from the worlingmen that is given them" Would they spend less if they were
 paid mofe? Profiteers should be
 called to account, but if the workers
 use. the increases they have received in unaccustomed and unnecessary in dulgences their case is weakened.
 Everybody is feeling the pinch, and sharing the blame for it, who is not reducing the cost of living as far as i possible by individual action The i millionaires are doing no more than 1 the workers. In every industry, in 1 every land, there is clear proof that 1 the wage earners are living more l lavishly and the rich more -frugally. ! The taxes have compelled the rich 1 to do this. Those who are not so 1 rich have been tax exempt in con- siderable degree, and it would be
 wholesome if hey felt more equitably the tax burden which increased 1 wages put upon all. In addition to 1 the enacted taxes the lavish spending
 of those overpaid beyond their ex- 1 perience lays a supertaX. upon the cost of living of everybody
 The raising of the wage question so 1 inf1uentially just now is an added reason for getting ,he League of { Nations treaty out of the way. Two subjects Of such importance should Enot antagonize each, other, for they
 cannot both get adequate attention i from either congress orr the public 7! MT. Lee says that the country is l headed the wrong way. His help in 7 reversing the direction would be < accepta ble. It would be no less patriotic in peace than in war that public servants should allow their drafts on the treasury to be settled 1 on the merits, and according to econ omic considerations. They can be sure that no ohe wishes to underpay them. The government should be a 1 model employer and public servants ] should be model workers. In that i way this country can be long kept ! what it long has bcen-the happiest .! and the most fortunate of all. Only in that way can it be a source ot succor for others. suffering unspeak l ably, '.and therefore having excuses for uneconomic action lacking, here