Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-08-26

the high cost of living. Ard the in
creases in the cost of transportation
which would necessarily result Iro. /
increases in the wages of railway EN-
ployes would more certainly and more /
immediately have that effect than any
other enhanced wage costs. Only by !
keeping the cost OF production on its .
present level, by increasing produc- !
ton, and 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.
Neither Wise Nor Feasible.
The Director General of Railroads .
and | have felt that a peculiar re-
sponsibility rests upon us because in
determining this question we are not +
studying the balance sheets of corr
porations, but in effect determining
the burden of taxation which must
fall upon the people Of the country
in general. We are acting, not for .
private corporations. but in the name .
of the government and the public, and .
must assess our responsibility ac-
cordingly. For it is neither wise nor .
feasible to take care of increases in !
the wages of railroad employees at
this time by increase in freight rates. I
1t is impossible at this time until .
peace has come and normal conditions
are restored, to estimate what the .
earning capacity of the railroads will
be when ordinary conditions return.
There is no certain basis, therefore,
for calculating what the increases of
freight rates should be, and it is nee
essary, for the time being at any rate, /
to take care of all increases in the
wages of railway employees through
appropriations from the public treas
ury. /
In such circumstances, it seems
clear to me, and I believe will seem
clear to every thoughtful American, |
including the shopmen themselves
when they have taken second
thought, and to all wage earners of
every kind, that we ought to post
pone questions of this sort until nor
nal conditions come again and we
have the opportunity for certain cal
culations as to the relation between
wages and the cost of living. 1t is
the duty of every citizen of the coun-
try to insist upon a truce in such
contests until intelligent settlements
can be made, and made by peaceful
and effective common counsel. ap-
peal to my fellow citizens of every
employment to cooperate in insisting
upon and maintaining such a |
truce and to cooperate also in sus-
tanning the government in what II
conceive to be the only course which
conscientious public servants can
pursue. Demands unwisely made and
passionately insisted upon at this
time menace the peace and pros
pertiy of the country as nothing else
could, and thus contribute to bring
about the very results which such
demands are intended to remedy.
Additional Pay Just
There is, however, one claim made
~ IiiC railway SHOpmeH Wnlcn ought
to be met. They claim that they are
not enjoying the same advantages
that other railway employees are en-
joying, because their wages are cal
culated upon a different basis. The
wages of other railway employees are
based upon the rule that they are to
receivepay for eight hours work the
same pay they received for the long
er work day that was the usual stan
dard of the pre-war period This
claim is, l am told, we'll founded,
and l concur in the conclusion of the
Director General that the shopmen
ought to be given the additional four
cents an hour which the read Just
ment asked for will justify. There
are certain other adjustments, also,
pointed out in the report of the Di-
rector General, when ought in fair
ness to be made, and which will I've