Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-29

the increases of freight rates
should be, and it is necessary,
for the time being at any rate,
to take care of all increases in
the wages of railroad employees
through appropriations from the
public treasury.
In such circumstances, it
will seem clear to every thought
full American, including the
shopmen themselves, when they
have taken second thought, and
to all wage-earners of every
kind, that We ought to postpone
questions of this sort until nor
NAL conditions come again and
we have the opportunity for GER
tain calculations as to the re-
lation between wages and the
cost of living. IL is the duty of
every citizen of the country to
insist upon a truce in such con-
tests until intelligent settle
ments can be made, and made
by peaceful and effective COM
mon counsel.
1 appeal to my fellow citizens
of every employment to coop
crate in insisting upon and main
tanning such truce, and to CO.
operate also in sustaining the
government in what [ conceive
to be the only course which con-
scientious public servants can
pursue. Demands unwisely made
and passionately insisted upon
at this time menace the peace
and prosperity of the country as
nothing else could, and thus con-
tribute to bring about the very
results which such demands are
intended to remedy.
Four Cents an Hour Raise
There is, however, one claim
made by the railway shopmen
which ought to be met. They
claim that they are not enjoying
the same advantages that other
railway employees are enjoying
because their wages are calcu-
lated upon a different basis. The
wages of other railway employees
are based upon the rule that
they are to receive for eight
hours work the same pay they
received for the longer work
ard of the pre-war period. This
claim is, 1 am told, well found
ed; and l concur in the conclu-
sion of the director general that
the shipment ought to be given
the additional four cents an hour
which the REIMBURSEMENT asked
for will justify There are GER
tain other adjustments, also,
pointed out in the report of the
director general, which ought
in fairness to be made, and
which will be made.
Let me add, also that the posi-
ton which the government must
in conscience take against gen
eral increases in wage levels
while the present exceptional
and temporary circumstances
exist will, of course, not pre-
clude the railroad administra-
- ton from giving prompt and
careful consideration to any
claims that may be made by
other classes Sof employees for
establishments believed. to be
proper to secure impartial treat
ment for all who work in the
railway service. ~
WOODROW WILSON.
Address to Shopnaen
The president in his statement
to the representatives of the
Shopmen, said:
Gentlemen: request that
you lay this critical matter be-
lore the men in a new light.
The vote they have taken was
upon the question whether they
should insist upon the wage in
crease they were asking Or con-
sent to the submission of their
claims to q new tribunal, to be
constituted by new legislation.
That question no longer has any
life in it. Such legislation is
not now. in contemplation.
request that you ask the men
to reconsider the whole matter
in view of the following con-
siderations, to which l ask their
thoughtful attention as Amer1-
cans, and which I hope that you
will lay before them as I here
state them.
We are face to face with a
situation which is more likely
to affect the happiness and
prosperity. and even the life, OF
our people than the war itself.
We have now got to do nothing
less than bring our industries
and. our labor of every kind back
to a normal basis after the great
est upheaval known to history,
and the winter just ahead of us
may bring suffering Infinitely
greater than the war brought
upon US if we blunder or fail in
the process. An admirable spirit
of self-sacrifice, of patriotic de-
votion, and of community action
guided and inspired US while
the fighting was on. We shall
need all these now. and need
them in a heightened degree. II
we are to accomplish the first
tasks of peace. They are more