Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-21
G,asHIas'GH Ivsn,ns Yesterday aefds 1875
Railroad Labor Board Award.

The Railroad Labor Boa IDS award of n
n per cent advance to employees of the
railroads Of this country is, to say the
least, generous, and we are not inclined
to doubt the sense Of fairness of our
working men, and 10 believe that they are
giving any thought to strike of protest
against the recommendation as in
adequate An advance of 2l per cent to
The wage oi railroad workers that is
alrcady on n war basis, is all that reason
able men can ask, and all that the coun-
try, not alone the railroads, can afford to
pay them. The men are already getting
good pay for the work they are called on
to perform, nnd for them to insist on
more would he almost equivalent to the
coniiscation Of railroad property of the
country. Their advanced is more than
apace with the increased cost of living
and IL will add six dollars to every man,
woman and childs burden in the United
States
The board, in making its award, was
careful 10 consider every condition that
had any hearing on the demands Of the
men ard the rights of the rest Of the
public, and no rational man or woman in
this country will seriously consider making
further protest and insisting that their
demands for an aggregate of 81 10000 900
be met. They have been awarded 60 per
cent Of their claim. More they cannot
expect.
We are confident that our American
workers are not disposed to reject this
offer. We are sure that they will not
They will see in the first place that to
demand any more would be grossly unjust
and unfair, and we believe they have too
great an interest at stake to put them
selves in the unenviable light OF trying to
force the government 10 take over the
roads again in the hope OF compelling the
country 20 listen 10 their demands for
more pay and shorter hours for work. and
thus invite bankruptcy II the radicals
among the railroad employees have
thought 20 force the Federal government
10 again operate the lines they h ave mis-
taken the sentiment of the Anne rican
people, who are on record as against the
naturalization Of our industries and utili-
ties The country will tolerate neither
Bolsheviki dictation nor l. W. W inter-
ference. and if there is any lingering
thought in the minds of radicals, of what
ever name, TO the contrary they are
wholly mistaken in their estimate of the
people OF this country
No real American worker who is willing
% give his labor for a fair and just COM
pensation, can or will object to the finding
Of the board; il is only those who are
seeking 90 hold IN the country, TO get
big pay with little return in the wav of
labor, who would join in any movement
Of protest as is hinted by trouble breeders
IN Chicago
Railroad workers must understand that
the new rate proposed Is the maximum
that the railroads can pay and continue
20 operate, and they must know, as well.
If they were to insist on higher pay under
duress Of strike they will bring the COM
panies 20 bankruptcy. which will ultimate
in very large percentage Of their 2OOO.-
op0 workers being without occupation at
all Wiser counsel will surely come to the
rescue and avert even a possibility of
strike Let US hope that the re-
port of dissatisfaction with the award is
The desire for fairness and justice to
the railros ders apd TO the public is clearly |
manifested in the summary of the boards |
announcement, which is reprinted here
and which is worthy Of careful con-
Seven things were taken into considera-
ton in arriving at the award, the pre-
amble OF the boards announcement saws.
They were:
The scale paid for similar kinds Of work
N other industries; the relation between |
wages and the cost Of living: the hazards +
NJ the employment: training and skill
required, degree of responsibility; charac-
ter and regularity OF the employment and |
m increases and treatment
resulting from previous wage orders.
Those persons who consider the rates
determined on herein too high should
reflect on the abnormal conditions result
ng from the high cost of living and the
high rates now being paid in other indus
tries. The cmploye who may have thought
ihesc rates too low should consider the
burden the,e rates will place
IN their fellow countrymen, many of
whom arc less favorably situated than
themselves.
The board has endeavored to fix such
wages as will provide decent living and
'eciTrc FOR the children of the wage earners
for education and yet to
efnomber that no class Of Americans
mould receive preferred treatment and
hat the great mass of the people must
pay great part of the in
'rcascd cost OF operation entailed by the
Increase m wages determined herein.
The finding, as stated above, is the
esult of the earnest deliberations Of a
'ody oi able, earnest men, who represent