Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-26

foresee. But l do not think that
their uneasiness is well grounded.
l anticipate that legislation dealing
with the future of the railroads will
in explicit terms afford adequate
protection for the interests of the
employees of the roads; but, quite
apart from that, il is clear that no
Legislation can make the railways
other than what they are, n 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 opportunity or persuasive force
to influence the decision of questions
arising Ptween 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 rall-
roads or not, l shall not fail to exert
the full influence of the Executive
to see that justice is done them.
Il believe. therefore, that they
may be justified in the confidence
that hearty cooperation with the
Government now in its efforts TO
reduce the cost of living will by no
means be preiudicial TO their CwE
interests. but will. on the contrary,
prepare the way for more favorable
ture.
Il confidently count on their CO.
operation in this time OF national
test and crisis"
Statement to the Public
The Presidents statement ad-
dressed to the public follows:
My fellow citizens:
"A situation has arisen in connec-
ton with the administration of the
railways which is of such general
significance that l think it my duty
to make u public statement con-
cerning it, in order that the who. e
country may know what is involved.
THE railroad shopmen have de-
manded n large increase in wages.
They are now receiving 5S, 63 and
6S cents per hour. They demand So
cents per hour. This demand has
been given careful and serious con-
sideration by the board which was
constituted by the railroad admin
istration to adjust questions of wages
a board consisting of an equal num-
Der of representatives of employees
and of the operating managers of the
railroad companies. This board has
been unable to come to an agree
ment, and it has therefore devolved
upon the Director General of rail-
roads 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
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 thinking that
there is no real basis of comparison
/ ha catt1aI pInN-ro, or
forded mechanics by the railroads
under living conditions as various as
the location and surroundings of the
railway shops themselves and the
fluctuating employment afforded in
industries exceptionally and tempo
rarily stimulated by the war and To-
Gated almost without exception in
industrial centers where the cost of
living is highest.
Expects Living to Come Down
"The substantial argument which
the shopmen urge is the very SER
ious 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. 1t will certainly be lowered as
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, manufacturers,
farmers, miners. all have certain
basis of calculation as to what their
business will be and what the con-
ditions will be under which it must
be conducted. The demands of tho
shopmen, therefore, and all similar
demands are in effect this: that we
make increase in wages, which are
likely to be permanent, in order to
meet a temporary situation which
will last nobody can certainly tell
how long, but in all probability only
for a limited time. Increases i'll
wages will, moreover, certainly re-
suit i'm 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 at
this time would utterly crush the
general campaign which the Govern
ment is waging with energy, vigor
and substantial hope of success, to
reduce the high cost of living. And
the increases in the cost of trans