Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-14
Hcai Genesis OF Present s,r,l,

TO nnd the real genesis OF the prescn
i strike OF railroad workers. we must no
back ~ last August when the wage propu-
Sitiun was presented to the railroad ad.
miuisirat;uu. backed by authority voted by
the railroad hrothcrhocts 10 call general
strike III case these demands were rejected.
The demand for higher pay was advanced
on The ground oi necessity 10 Offset the
high cost OF living. which had reached the
intnlerHbl" stage. Action upon this demand
was postponed upon the earnest plea OF
President Wilson, TO hold il and the threat
ened strike III allowance until promised re-
suits IN reducing the cost Of living could
h" obtained through the suppression OF
prontcerns by vigorous prosecutions 80 he
instituted Ivy the Department nj Justice.
with all Other agencies oi the government
Co-operaIinc TO effect relief The brother
hoods accepted the proposal with the alter
native understanding that i'll the event OF
failure % force Il decline in living costs.
the question of wage increases would he
taken up by the railroad administration and
all effort made TO reach satisfactory adj
juStment.
The effort Of the government 10 force
decline i'll the cost OF living not only met
with no success. hut as To many OF the
necessities OF life prices appreciated instead
OF declining. In the meantime the rail-
way workers fonnd The railroads about 10
pass from control Of the government back
into the hands OF the owners % the prop
critics. with the wage controversy left un-
settled. Eventually Congress enacted leg
i>iatinn in which railroad labor board is
provided for high court of appeal from
other joint boards to deal with controver-
sizes between the railroads and their en-
ployces. This legislation has not met with
the unqualified approval ai the railroad
s,rl rlNn,N S.,-
waited developments in the way OF
promised relief The President for some
reason. has been slow TO name the mem
tcrs of this labor board. thus further de-
laying action on the question " wage in
creaSes
In the meantime. radical labor agitators
have taken advantage of the unsatisfactory
situation and busted themselves with TO-
mcntinS unrest among railroad workers,
with the result that they have Influenced
the latter to break out from under control
OF the leadership of their organizations.
and We have the present unauthorized
strike Just what the outcome will be is
not clear. If the labor leaders can CON
troll the situation tho strike will soon he
brought 10 an end. and the wage question
Will take the course provided in the recently
enacted legislation to deal with such con-
trovcrsics.
II is not the purpose IN this analysis 10
discuss the mfrits Of tho workers con
tcntion that they entitled to higher
wage That should be thrcshcd ont on it's
merits. # the labor leaders can defeat
the present msurscnt movement. that
course Will bc taken. But whatever the
outcome. there is little promise of relief
for the already uvcrhurdcned public.
Rather, the prospect is that in such set
element of the controversy as will cnsuc
it" burdens will be increased by a grant
ing Of labor's demand for Increased wages
and corresponding increase in railroad
rates 10 absorb the augmented pay roll