Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-08-07
Labor Wants 10 Run the Railroads.

A great deal OF interest mas oSeh
caused throughout the country this
week by the action of representatives
of the American Federation OF Labor,
which has presented to Congress a
statement signed by engineers, con-
ductors and firemen of the railroads OF
the United States, demanding that the
railroads be put under control of the
public. the operating arrangement ana
the employees 1t is proposed tna'
private capital be withdrawn from the
companies and that in this triparti'e
control the big financial interests that
have heretofore been supreme in ma
nipuiating the stocks and bonds ana
using the income shall be entirely
eliminated The demands of the Ia
Dor organizations, in brief, are as fol-
lows:
That private capital be eliminated
from the railroads.
That the private owners receive LOT
Them government bonds with fixed
interest return for every honest dollar
that they have invested"
That the tripartite control, hereto
fore referred TO, be established in cor
porations which shall lease the roaas
and in which the public, the operating
manapements and labor SHALL be repre-
scented equally.
That the public, the operators ana
the wage earners share equally all
revenue in excess Of the guarantee 10
private capital by granting to the
onerators and the employees one-half
the savings which are expected to De
made bv such a perfected organization,
and to the public the other hall as
consumers, either by increasing ser
vice without adding costs or by re-
ducing costs.
We are unable to say whether or not
the labor representatives have worked
ont the details of their radical plans
for taking over and running the rail-
roads. but it is not likely that all OF the
complicated questions have been fully
considered, much less solved. Condi-
,;ons AZ present are very chaotic, and
wisdom and skill and great patience
will have TO be exercised on the part
of the public, the management ana INC
EMPLOYEES if colossal disaster is TO De
avoided. 1t is apparent that govern
ment control has not been entirely
satisfactory. but how much OF the
trouble has been due to inethcleney
and how much TO the abnormal condi-
tions .occasioned by the war and the
worldwide turmoil cannot be defined.
We are of the opinion that the govern
ment has conducted the railroads DUR
ing the past couple OF years quite as
efficiently as the former management
could have done, though probably a
good deal more extravagantly.
While we are bit dubious about the
plans of the labor organizations, ana
are of the opinion that the employees
would find as much fault with each
other as they have with their old en-
ployers, we think that there might be
good deal of satisfaction and benefit
in being relieved Of the domination OF
the big financial interests. These in
terests in the past have been more
concerned in enriching themselves by
stock and bond maniuplationS than in
giving the railroads wise and honest
and economical administration. we
are not among those who throw up
their hands in pessimistic horror at
the proposition of the labor organiza-
tons, radical and startling as it is. In
due time, we have no doubt, solution
of the difficulties will be found, and
we are quite hopeful that in the end
there will be a betterment OF condl-
tons.