Evening journal., 1919-08-18


] fsTHERE is a manifest disposition in some high official
quarters" says the Railway age, TO concede the
Justice Of the contention railway employees that their
wages have not been but should be- advanced in
tion 20 the increase in the cost OF living But is this
tention Ye-founded? The in the cost OF living
has affected everybody-rcl and poor large and small
capitalists. sslared people and wage earners How many
OF the people Of the United States
their incomes 1915 which have equalled the in
creases in the cost OF living? We don't know, but
10 estimate that one-fourh Of the people Of
all classes have.
III not one-half and probably not onefourth Of the
people have in their incomes large
in proportion the increase in the cost Of living what
right railway employees demand that the advances
I'm their shall be made equal 10 the advance in the
living? II their wages further advanced the
entire people Of the United states will have TO foot the
bill either IN taxes in passenger and freight rates
The effect Of will necessarily TO increase the cost
OF living Of all other classes Of people The question
which feay should be considered is not whether hecost
OF living has increased less than the wages Of
railway employees II the cost of living is TO be made the
starting point Of the investigation then what ought to be
ascertaned s whether The wages Of railway employees
have increased or proportion to the increase
in the cost Of living than the incomes Of the other
people and especially the other working people Of the
country To raise the Of class Of people enough
10 offset The increase the cost Of living when the in
Of the other people have not Increased in
proportion the cost Of living 10 make privileged
class Of those whose raised at the expense Of
the rest Of tho people, and this the government has no
right 10 do"
The Railway Age expresses great skeptclsm regarding
recent professions the railway labor brotherhood that
they no intention Of striking to secure adoption Of
the Plumb Plan
'Nvhen the advocates OF the Plumb Plan began present
ing to the House Committee Interstate Commerce
they took a very rucuent tone" says the Railway Age
"They said in effect that the broherhoods did not in
tend 20 hermit The railroads 10 be returned to private
management and that they would adopt whatever meas
necessary 10 secure adoption Of the plan of
employees management Doubtless TO the great surprise
Of the brotherhood leaders and The public did
not betray the sightes. symptom Of becoming scared
on the contrary outburst Of public sentl-
ment against the broherhoods.
since then the brotherhood leaders apparently have
been taking the back track The nation should not let
itself be lued into Of security by the tone the
brotherhood leaders taking. In 1916 when ii
was repeatedly charged that they intended to call a
naton-vido strike their demands were not granted
without arbitration they repeatedly declared that
there would be no strike They said then they say
now that they expected to win without strike But
when the railway presidents absolutely and finally
fused TO grant their demands without arbitration the
heads Of the broherhoods did the order for strike
and they refused recall the order until Congress under
yvhip and spur with the brotherhood leaders holding
sop-vach on It, had passed the Adamson basic eight
hour day law
"The present leaders Of the brothefhoods have SUI
preme confidence in their ability to get anything they
by OF strikes and threats Of strikes and as
long as they have this confidence and it continues TO be
perfectly lawful for them to call strikes at me they
want TO- and upon any preeN that appeals to them the
country will continue 90 have hanging the menace
Of great railroad strike Because Of this supreme CON
ndnce Of the brotherhood leaders the omnpotence Of
the strike now appears almost certain that
later general railroad strike viii in the United
states no matter what system Of management the rail
roads have and since appears almost certain that such
strike will come probably the hest thing for the coun
Try would be to have It soon and get it over