The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-26
Statements of President
on Shopn1en Wage Demand
TO THE SHOPMEN

Washington, Aug. 26.-The presi-
dent, in his statement to the repre-
Sentatives OF the shopmen, said;
Il request that you lay this critical mat
der before the men in new light The
tlon whether they should insist upon the
wage increase they were asking, or con-
sent TO new tribunal, to be constituted
hy new legislation. That question no
longer has any life in it. Such legislation
Il not now in contemplation. request
that you ask the men to reconsider the
tIderations. to which l ask their thought
ful attention as Americans and which
hope that you will lay before them as
I'VE are face to face with a situation
which Is more likely to affect the happi-
our people, than the war itself. We have
now got 10 do nothing less than bring
our Industries and our labor Of every kind
back to normal basis after the greatest
upneaval known in history, and the winter
Just ahead Of MS may bring suffering in
us II we biunder or fall in the process.
An admirable spirit Of self-sacrifice OF
patriotic devotion and Of community action
guided and inspired while the fighting
was on. We shall need all these now and
need them in a heightened degree If we are
TO accomplish the first tasks Of peace. They
arc more difficult than the tasks Of war
more complex, less enstly understood-anu
require more intelligence, patience and So
fhe FIGHTING let us now mobilize our brain
mower and our conscience Tor the recon :
ttruction. II we fail, it will mean national "a
crease production, so as 70 make UP LOT
the destruction wrought by the war, the
terrible scarcities 1t created and So as soon
as possible. relieve our people OF the cruel
burtien Of high prices The railways are
at the center Of this whole process
Taking steps To Lower Prices.
s.The government has taken up with all
its energy the task of bringing the
profiteer to book. making the stocks OF
neeessaries in the country available az
lower prices stimulating production and
facilitating distribution, and very favorable
results are already beginning to appear.
There Is reason to entertain the coh 1 =
hope that substantial relief Will result, ana
result In increasing measure. A genera
increase I'm the levels Of wages woulu checK
and might defeat all this at its very pc
rinniur Such increases would inevitably
raise. not lower, the cost Of living Manu-,
facturers and producers Of every sort woHId
have innumerable additional preteNts Tor
Increasing profits and all efforts TO dis
cover and defeat profiteering would pc
efforts to reduce the cost Of living. will
he successful II no new elements OF ar
fieulty ore thrown in the way; and con-
ffdently count upon the men engaged In
the service OF the railways to assist, not
TT Is much more IN their interest to
do this than to insist upon wage In
creases which Will undo everything the
government attempts. They are good
Americans along with the rest OF US anu
may. / am sure, be counted on to see the
point.
Raise Wages II Price War Falls.
"It goes without saying that If our ef-
forts to bring the cost OF living down
10 establish either success or failure, II
WILL Of course. be necessary to accept the
higher costs Of living as a permanent basis
~ adjustment and railway wages should
be readiusted along with the rest. All that
I nm now urging is that we should not be
guilty Of the inexcusable inconsistency OF
making general increases IN wages on the
assumption that the present cost OF living
viii be permanent at the very time that we
nre trying with great confidence 10 reduce
tho cost Of living and are able TO say that
a actually Is beginning to fall.
II am aware that railroad employees nave
q sense OF Insecurity as to the future of
the roads and have many misgivings as to
whether their interests Will be properly
eral control has come to an end. No doubt
I Il is In part the sense OF uncertainty that
tcrests be adjusted now rather than under
conditions which they cRnnotcertainly fore
Gee. But DO not think that their uneasl-
pess Is well grounded. l anticipate that
legislation dealing with the future Of the
railroads will in explicit terms afford ade-
quate protection for the interest Of the EN-
pioyes OF the railroads; but, quite apart
from that. Il Is clear that no legislation can
make the railways other than what they
nre. great public interest, and it Is not
likely that the president of the United
States whether In possession and control
Of the railroads or not will lack oppor-
tunity or persuasive force to influence the
decision Of questions arising between the
managers OF the railroads and the railway
employees. The employees may rest assured
that, during my term Of office, whether l
am in actual possession OF the railroads or
not, shall not fail to exert the full influ-
ence Of the executive to see that justice is
done them.
II believe, therefore that they may be
4 Justified In the confidence that hearty co.
a operation with the government now in its
efforts to reduce the cost of living will, by
no means, be prejudiced to their own in
/ ferests, but will, on the contrary, prepare
i the way for more favorable and satisfac-
i tory relations in the future.
Il confidently count on their co-opera-
tion in this time Of national test and crisis.
WOODROW WILSON"