New-York tribune., 1920-09-07

the, employer owes it to his men to
little business Of its own. In this way,
as some one has said, the job stops
being an enemy of the man and be-
comes his associate and friend, and the
success achieved opens the way for
his looked-for advancement.
The world is thinking about means
10 prevent war among nations. and we
approve, and share the aspiration. But
America Is also thinking about pre-
venting industrial conflict, and all at
1end1nS waste, suffering and anxiety
No Compulsory Arbitration
I'VE cannot have compulsory ar
pltratlon, because all parties must
consent to establish arbitration and
enforce its conclusions. 1 think we
can have, and ought to have, volitional
arbitration. The best thought of the
Day commends this way to settlem ent.
: N the broad sense labor's business
IS selling its skilled or unskilled en-
deayyor, and the basic cost is the cost
OF living. What labor receives over
and above cost of living is paw for it's
preparation, and profit for it's in
spiraton. Ala
The insistent thought of the dav ia
70 !? O. add to this profit, to widen the
alnerence between mere cost and the
wage received. All the influence and
eequalize q living cost among bmns
dred millions. Rentals, until home
owning becomes more widespread-as
nope it will become wides spread-yarv
according to localities and conditions
The wage scale which contemplatea a
rental cost in one place might be
wholly inadequate to meet the cost
IN another and a nationalized scale
would work an injustice. This point
controVersles, and proved some very
real grievances Of which the people had
not dreamed "
This brings me to the subject Of
railway legislation, and the enactment
OF the Cummins-Esch bilurestoring the
railways to the lawful owners. We
owed 1T to the railway owners to re-
store their property, seized for war
service, just as we owe the return of
the peoples money invested in govern
ment loans. In free and thoughtful
America we do not take ADVANTAGE of
wars tumult to change the regular
order of things. l am we'll aware that
many earnest railway workers and ad-
vocates of the Socialist plan preferred
to take the railroads and put them
under the operation of the employees,
'.t"' "a' NV heeplHB 1altn with
America or American promises We
were honor bound to make the return.
favored it for the additional reason
that | do not believe in government
ownership.
"The government must do many
things, but it has enough to do with
out invading the field of private ac-
tivlty, not, at any rate, until govern
ment demonstrates its capacity for
efficiency.
81 do not pretend to say the rail-
way act is perfect; indeed, I know it
is not. But Congress. was dealing with
a problem of first Importance, and it
had to speed the legislation. There
was the conflict of many minds, as it
was right there should be, and the
final actt was compromise. Never
theless, I believe it to be a good law,
and cordially, supported it. Many rail
against it, but can only wonder why,
except for the fundamental objection
to the release of government operation.
at does not guarantee dividends, it
limits them. 1t did make q six months
guaranty, but that was to enable the
stupendous financing for rehabilitation.
There was no ample upkeep during the
war, and the public Is suffering to-day
from railway inadequacy.
| Ihc government mas held COM
mission control over financing, rate
making and all that concerns the ship
ping public, and has made working
conditions and wages matters of CON
Germ to government itself. Railway
workers are made a preferred class,
and government has singled out rail-
way workers to see that their just
treatment is matter Of public pledge.
This is progress.
"This law does noe contain an anti
strike clause. You cannot take away
from any man the right to quit his
employment, but it does aim at tho
prompt, instant grant Of justice, full
Justice; and justice, men. is. the best
| guaranty Of all civilization. 1t does
not interfere with collective bargain
ing; on the contrary, 1t facilitates it.
! More, the brief experience already had