The Washington times., 1919-08-26

The Presidents proclamation on th
high cost OF living reads as follows
Ny Fellow Citizens:
A situation has arisen in con-
nectiCn with the administration
Of the railways which is Of such
general significance that think
it my duty to make a public state
ment concerning it in order that
the whole country may know
what is invOlveE
The railroad shEamen have de-
manded q large increase in wages
They are now receiving 5S, 90 and
6S cents per hour. They demand
S5 cents per hour. This demand
has been given careful and serious
consideration by the board which
was constituted by the railroad
administration to adjust questions
Of wages, a board consisting Of an
equal number Of representatives
Of employees and Of the operating
managers Of the railroad COM
panies. This board has been un-
able to come to an agreement, and
il has therefore devolved upon the
director general Of railroads and
~ SCH " at Ap0A AuG AAACLAAS VI
the case.
The shopmen urge that they are
entitled to higher wages because
Of the higher wages for the pres
ent received by men doing 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 between the
settled employment AFFORDED me-
chanics by the railroads under
living conditions as various as
the location and surroundings Of
the railway shops themselves and
the fiuctuating employment af-
forded in industries exceptionally
and temporarily stimulated by the
war and located almost without
exception in Industrial centers
where the cost of living is high
est.
H. C. Of L. Potent Argument.
The substantial argument which
the shOpmen urge is the very seri-
Gus increase in the cost Of living.
This is a very potent argument
indeed. But the fact is that the
cost OF living has certainly reach
ed its peak and will probably be
lowered by the efforts which are
now everywhere being concerted
and carried out. 1t will certainly
be lowered so 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 a certain basis Of calcu-
lation as to what their business
will be and what the, conditions
will be under which II must be
conducted. The demands Of the
shOpmen. therefore, and all SINH
lar demands are in effect this:
That we make increase in wages,
which are likely to be perma-
nent. in order to meet a tempor-
ary situation which will last no
body can certainly tell how long,
but in all probability only for a
Z limited time. Increase in wages
viii. moreover. certainly result in
still further increasing the costs
OF production and, therefore, the
cost Of living, and we snould only
have to 90 through the same
process again. Any substantial
increase Of wages in leading lines
Of industry at this time would
utterly crush the general cam
paign which the Government Is
waging with energy, vigOr and
substantial hope Of success, to re-
duce the high cost Of living. And
the increases in the cost of trans
pOrtation which would necessarily
result from increases in the
wages OF railway employees would
more certainly and more immedi-
ately have that effect than any
other enhanced wage costs. Only
by keeping the cost Of produc-
ton on its present level, by in
cressing production ana by rigid
economy and saving on the part
OF the people can we hope for
large decreases in the burdensome
cost Of living which now weighs
us down.