The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-04-14
WILSON MEETS
CABINET FIRST
TIME IN MONTHS
Fact That He Is Able to Do SO
Z Brushes Aside Talk About
lncapacity. :
By D1Did Laurence
Especial Correspondent of The Eve
MING Worldly

right 192O).-President Wilson's
meeting with the Cabinet for the
first time in nearly eight months
has had a favorable effect entirely
apart from the confidence 1t has in
stilled that the Government is TAX.
ing hold Of the menacing situation
caused by the outlaw" strike of rail-
way employees.
The mere fact that in a crisis the
Chief Executive was able to confer
with the heads Of the ten depart
ments OF the Government served to
brush aside, for the moment at least,
thoughts Of the physical incapacity
OF the President.
But much more important than the
outcropping of industrial revolt is the
return to a realization here that in
the last seven or eight months the
Government, both in it's Legislative
and executive branches, has done
nothing TO cure the economic ills OF
the country which have made possible
the organization of strike among
so many railroad employees.
MEASURES UNDER coNsIDERA.
TON ARE MERE EXPEDIENTs.
True enough the Cabinet is con-
sidering repressive measures, pro-
posals by which the power of the law
shall be invoked against those who
have conspjred b to 'tptsrtppt thC
transportation OF food fofsty4 kmefi-
can people, but that is simply a sur.
face expedtent designed for mora
effect to prevent the growth Of in,
dustrial lawlessness. - %
Every member Of the Cabinet 4
aware, as is the President himself
that industrial disturbances in tn
United States are not alone due to tn,
operations OF radicals" but that
cure must be found for the system
which makes 1t possible for radical
and deTnagogues to harangue work
men and obtain their support TO
strike tactics and rebellion agains
the veteran leaders OF organizes
labor.
1t all gets back to the high cost o
living with which the Government
has wrestled in vain. The Exccu
tive points blaming finger at tn
legislative, where for months the pro
poSals Of the President to curb prof
teering and cut out the abuses o
certain intermediate processes be
tween producer and consumer hav
not been acted on any more than tn
suggestions of the Secretary of tn
Treasury that some of the bad fea
lures of the present Revenue Law
be wiped off the statute books.
More and more is official Washing
ton coming to the belief that the ex
cess profits tax is the foundatio
stone of the high cost of living. An
now on top Of It all Congress is pro
posing to add $1,000, 900, 900 in cost
in order TO satisfy the soldier vot
and to meet that increase 1t is SER
ouSly being urged that tax OF on
= and one-half per cent. on all sale
shall be added to the confusion OF III
, | present taxation system without re
moving any OF the inequities in tn
tax provisions that already exist.
STRIKE BRINGS OUT FACT
ABOUT COST OF LIVING.
= The railroad strike has accentuate
the relationship between the hig
= cost OF living and Industrial chao
Samuel Gompers and the vetera
leaders of the railroad brotherhood
are emphatic in their claims that II
!, executive branch of the CioVernm
% ignored their warnings about the do
n mands of the employees, and thu
Congress gave evidence in the raj
= road legislation that 1t would NJ
n heed the warnings against radica
n ism which Mr.. GOmpers and his as
sociates feared.
day the Government finds itse
= working side by side with the cor
n servative leaders of union labor TO il
Il fluence the striking worlImen to con
back to work. But those same Leader
whose sincerity has been doubt,
Y again and again have warned Il
n Government against n policy
neglect and while they are usir
every effort themselves to keep col
II troll OF their men they insist that Il
n present situation is the best pro
ID obtainable that the demands whiC
railroad men left at the White Hou
as early as last July cannot be long
i ignored.
Much Is expected Of tho new raj
- road labor board which has Just be,
harmed by President Wilson but
"a happened in the coal strike, the ult
~ mate burden probably will be impoS,
:. upon the consumer just as the ma
who wishes to meet the heavy p
cess profits taxes adds a percental
of that tax to his prices in order tn
. his own income shall not be d
u minishcd The economic cycle,
VI other words, still goes on and Il
i railroad men, seeing no signs Of
" change with respect TO the uommod
Is ties they must buy, arc discomfort
hNcaugC their my remains una1tpr
IS while living costs 80 up,
Is Tho Government will probably a
nc tempt to punish the railway men W
IN brought on the strike n a conapirL
IL can bc proved, but there ifs ~onui
pr apprehension lest 'ho-, tactics IN,