The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-10-07

Miss Mabel Boardman hasn't any more
vote than a man in her old town, even
though she is one of the commits
sioners of the District of Columbia.
nown, which is in striking contrast
to another appointment to a commits
sionership Of a man almost unknown
to the residents of the capital. How
this latter appointee secured his job
has not been explained. The Wash
ington newspapers could find nothing
to print about him except that he was
an enthusiastic club member and an
ardent devotee Of golf.
This living in Washington, the par
lor of the nation" is a very p~oetical
existence, but the meter is disjointed
in a good many ways.
The car service division Of the
American Railroad association has
published figures showing that the
railroads of the United States during
August handled a greater volume Of
freight traffic than ever before in that
month, even in the war years of 1917
and 1918. AS the grain moving sea
son progresses, the demand for cars
is increasing, and the pinch of a car
shortage cannot help but manifest it.
self through the coming months.
The extent to which the railroads
are regaining their efficiency as the
congestion and other effects of the
labor troubles which were acute in
April are being overcome, is indi-
Gated in the large increases being
shown in the statistics of revenue
freight car loading, compiled by the
commission on car service. There IS,
throughout the entire railroad indus
try, q greatly improved situation. This
is not only important to the railroads.
but it is ever more important as it
reflects the welfare of the country.
The railroads are the most highly
organized, or unioniZed, of any of the
country's industries. The railroad
br~otherhoOds have demonstrated time
and again that they are able to pro-
tect the interests OF railroad wage
workers. Railroad managers have in
recent years treated with the brother.
hoods, and although there have been
has smoOthened itself out. But during
last spring the yard men in Chicago
precipitated the OUTLAW" railroad
strike. This extended to other parts
of the country, but the brotherhOods
joined with the railroad managers in
suppressing the revolutionists, and the
outlaws" were emphatiCally defeated.
A similar situation has occurred IN
the strike of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit employees. In the latter in
stance, as in the situation with refer
ence to railroad employees attempt
ing TO OVerturn the contracts made be-
tween the employers and the EN-
plOyees. The responsible labor ele.
ment in unions throughout different
industries are insisting that contracts
made in their behalf shall be carried
out. In order to enforce this rule they
are, themselves, Kidding their member
ship of outlaws" who do not recOe-
nize their moral responsibility in liv-
ing up to their contracts.
The situation with reference to the
coal industry emphasizes the condi-
tons stated above with reference to
other industries. All official circles
in the national capital are determined
that the wage awards to coal miners
cannot be r~epudiated, and it still re-
mains to be seen whether the out
law" element will be strong enough
to prevent the country from getting
coal this winter.
Political circles are keenly inter
ested in the coming of Tom Watson
as senator from Georgia. Mr.. Watson