Arizona republican., 1920-06-19
Mir. Gompers and Government Ownership

Mir. Gompers and Government Ownership
 Whether or not "the enslavcment of the workers as government employees would be the effect Of gov crnment ownership railroads Mir. Gompers declared. depend whether or not the rail road employees under government ownership could secure domina of the government. But in the view of the astute labor leader of these two eyentuates would and he readily perceives that it would be the former. We should, however. consider the meaning of the word "cnslavement' as it is used by Mir. Gompers
 means railway employees would no longer be under the direction of their unions now constituted the control would be cxer- them a the government now exercises postal employees and in still greater degree over army United States. All questions uf wages and working conditions would be deter mined by government unless the railway workers powerful enough terrorize the government NIT. Gompers, doubt, is farseeing enough to know that such overawing of the government could not very and that the opportunity for it would very often. There could be occasion for only when should have weak and timorous government, such yielded the of the Adamson and which kept yielding to the demands of the brotherhoods until it was backed against a stone wall could farther It will perhaps long time before shall have another such government.
 We can of course, conceive of a relation between railway workers and the government under a system
  It would require, though, reasonableness one side an interest the employment and high patriotism. and the other genuine desire to be fair and greatest efficiency in the operation the utter divorcenient of railroads from politics
 Mir. Gompers knows though this, though a beautiful conception, is impossible that all conditions realization absent and would be absent; that the side there would be over reaching, purpose to secure the maximum of wages for the minimum service, and the other, that politicians would control the roads and would haps yield to unreasonable demands, and deny just demands according to their of the temper of the public. either latter in the of the realization of the beautiful ception the railway workers would without he leadership a general labor organization ana it would be in no need of such leadership. The ran- way workers would be apart from organized labor, with few interests common, the latter case, their interests would adverse organized labor in other lines.
 For instance. n a conflict with government higher wages. working conditions the workers would their right would tie up the railroads throwing employ ment carpenters. workers and work men in every craft dependent in any upon portation. They would all be left in the same boat with the general public. If the conflict should be sufficiently prolonged the railway workers would be left standing alone without guidance by sensible directing organization.
 The radicals who overrode Mir Gompers n the convention do they see anything it is only the placing of the railway workers in position to dominate the government; to bring it to its knees. They cannot how impossible it is for few hundred thousand to hold by throat hundred million and compel their surrender.
 In the end, the railway workers would "en- slaved' within the meaning Mir. Gompers They would be under the control of the government in precisely the manner in which other employees In 1olh1ic Servfca government.