Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-24
Arc They PIaying Politics?

Ir has been an old practice OF Republican
financial magnates - promote the interests
OF their candidates for the presidency by lay
ing OF men during the course Of Il national
campaign, producing Il measure OF hard
times. and letting the word go forth that
only the election OF 4 Republican will save
the country from dire consequences. Dur
ing each of the campaigns while Grover
Cleveland was III the White House this sort
OF thing was rcsorted TO, and the laboring
people OF many sections were deluded into
the belief that they would commit indus
trial suicide if they did not join in the cleo
tion OF a Republican ticket.
Just now there is evidence that this old
stIatagcm is being applied once more OH
Gals OF the Pennsylvania Railroad have
given notice that they are soon 10 lay of
many thousands OF men. Baltimore and
Ohio officials already have closed many OF
their shops. Railroad officials in the Chi
cago region intimate that a cut i'll their
force is imminent President Wood OF the
American WOODEN Company, has announced
that $4,000 employees OF that corporation
will lose their jobs.
All this seems TO proceed from the same
general source. namely, the banking inter-
csts which are behind these great corpora
TONS the same interests that dictated the
nomination of that famous Old Guardsman,
Warren G. Harding, at the Chicago conven-
ton. The systematic fashion in which the
magnates are going about the hard-times-
producing program arouses the suspicion
that somebody is playing practical politics
Of a most contemplate sort. a suspicion en-
tcrtained by officials of the administration
in Washington, and one which the Depart
mcnt OF Justice may find il advisable to act
upon in the near future.
1t is difficult to convince any rational man
that the railroads OF the country. for ex-
ample. can dispense with the services OF any
great body of their employees For months
there has been grave freight congestion on
virtually all the railroads. The situation be-
came so acute weeks ago that the Interstate
Commerce Commission found il necessary to
invoke its emergency powers under the Esch-
Cummins act in order 10 bring measure OF
order out OF the ira iic chaos which existed
In every public statement which the rail
roads made explaining why the transporta-
ton system had seemed 10 break down
within few weeks from the return OF the
roads TO their owners it was declared that
the lines were short OF men; that the outlaw
strike had taken thousands of valuable
workers away who had not returned, and
conditions would not greatly Improve until
the problem OF railroad labor shortage
should be solved
4e: ~ least two OF the great trunk lines
.; his moment are talking about dropping
thousands Of men from their employ The
tHgest!on j. only partially cleared up even
loW and he answer IS that the man-power
shortage continues TO attic, the transpor,a-
.o- companies ], seems absurd, therefore.
- hear railroad officials talking abou, let-
n-s men 70 a such time a this If the
i1-ez,s which have been made in thar d.
- ION are actually carried out, Tie Federal
government will have right TO inquire into
.-- whole business, and the country will
=--A1a % know wha, possible reason exists
-o' further limiting transportation facilities.