Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-27
WILL SHOPMEN
GO ON STRIKE?
CAPITAL ASKS
With Public Behind Pres
ident, 1t is Not Believed
They Will.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

/ There is no denying the fact that
although the views of Director Cen
eral Hines against any general in
| creases in railroad wages were
fairly well known, the national cap
/ i.al was somewhat taken aback by
/ President Wilson's firm stand
! against wage increases at this time.
| Again and again as the Wilson
administration has developed its
policies in the last six years has
there been such a noticeable friend
illness to labor that many a mem
! ber of congress took it for granted
that all the railroad men had to do
to get increases in wages was to
ask for it. Those who haven't fol-
lowed very closely the opportunistic
! policies of the president were there
fore surprised. But on the other
hand the logic of the situation call
ed for a declaration of the kind
made because the president made
/ it very clear in his address to con-
gress on the high cost Of living that
! the situation could not be met by
! increases in wages without start
/ ing another cycle of costs.
Aim to Adjust Costs.
It was not a fiat rundown, how
ever, for the director general of
railroads recommended that the
wages of shOpmen be equalized. In
some cases this means an increase
of 4 cents an hour, in others as
much as cents. And furthermore,
the railroad administration an
nounced today that all classes of
J ~ ch
men who feel that they have a Just
claim for equalization should pre-
sent such claims. Men employed
/ in maintenance of ways, for in
/ stance, are thought to have a just
/ grievance. But any general m
! creases based upon the high cost
of living will not be granted for the
I simple reason that the administra-
/ tion hopes to reduce that cost. Fur
/ thermore, it wants to put an end to
/ the calculations which would intro
duce as a permanent thing in
| American economic life those scales
/ of costs which were operative dur
! ing the war as a result either Of
! emergency construction or world
shortages produced by war needs.
| Cut Prices: Maintain Wages.
7 Just as the government believes
the high profits enjoyed by manu-
/ facturers of foodstuffs, clothing
and other commodities involved in
/ the high cost of living should go
down, it believes that wages
should not be increased to raise
! the costs to manufacturers When
! the war ended there was much agi-
/ tation about reducing wages. Sam
uel Gompers announced his oppo-
sition to such a course as possibly
/ leading to social unrest. Many
! manufacturers took the position
also that the war increases in
/ wages could be absorbed 1t was
/ definitely assumed that wages
would not rise, but would for the
most part be held az war levels.
! The president therefore is stepping
. in to prevent a general upward
+ tendency in labor costs which
would defeat the governments eff
/ fort to persuade manufacturers to
/ reduce their prices on necessaries
of life
( Men Not Pleased.
Generally speaking. the railroad
men who met the president were
/ not pleased They didn't get their
/ full increases, but they had had
their wages equalized to levels en-
/ joyed by other railroad employees
/ and they also had a definite as
surance that the president would
! pro .ect their interests when legis-
lation returning the roads to pri-
( vate ownership came before him for
/ signature. The plain inference OF
| bis remarks was that he would ve-o
any bill that did not provide ma
chinery for the adjustment of wage
/ disputes, machinery on which the
railroad men had satisfactory rep
resentation and the public's inter
ests were fully protected against
strikes on unwarranted bases.
The latter consideration was
aimed at the Plumb plan. The
president realized that much of the
support for the plan to nationalize
the railroads came from dissatis-
fed employees and others who
thought they would get no consid-
Grafton under private management
of the railroads-that reductions
instead of increases might be in
stituted
One thing is clear. the govern
ment may return the roads to pri-
vate owners this year. but it will
retain control over many questions
which may affect the credits and
finances of the railroads and the
rate making power. While con-
gress declined to grant Mr.. Will
sons request for a super commits
sion to fix wages as well as rates
the proposition is by no means dead
and will be heard from as the dis
cussion ensues.
VIII ShOpmen Strfkel
All Washington wonders. natur-
ally. If the shopmen will strike.
Predictions generally are against
the probability Of a strike. first
because the president has elected
public sympathy for his position
that the taxpayers Of America
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