Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-15

ing the railroads sS.OOO.oOO a day. The
longer it lasts. therefore. the longer
Twill the government have to make up
the deficiency to pay the 81 per cent,
Interest on investments.
But the government IS the people
land the money that the government
]spends must come out of the peoples
pockets in one way or another.
Also It is realized that the only way
Ito get norma. times again Is to speed
iup production so as to make good the
lawful loss caused by the Every
lday that the railroad strike continues
means that much less production,
hence a setback all along the line.
As far as tho strike itself is con-
cerned. there is something 10 be said
ION both sides. The men have a
l~grievance in the delay that has taken
place In considering their claims. They
were promised nan months ago that
1.-THE matter would be taken up. but
nothing was done. Whether justified
or not. the wall5-out was the most
effective way OF attracting attention
and getting prompt action. The fact
that millions of people would be great
Ily Inconvenience and lives actually
endangered. not to mention the enor-
nous loss in food, materials and money
THAT the strike would cause, does not
ldeter the more restless ones among the
workers who face nothing but increas-
lea prices on every side.
Government officials who had the
settlement of tho railroad mems
iclalms IN their hands should have
realized that this was no time to
tribe with such a situation; they
should have known hat delay in such
Ia matter only gave the radical agita-
tors time TO work among the men and
while at first these a~gitators failed to
make much impression and the moro
conservative leaders were able TO keep
control of the situation, as time passed
and nothing was done the union
leaders gradually lost their grip SO
that when trouble started In a Chicago
railroad yard. triGing in itself,
apparently, it did not take much to
get other men to join In the walkout
and soon the trouble had spread to
all parts Of the country.
The weak position OF the men is
that they have quit work in defiance
of their own duly elected union
officials. Organization has always been
the strength of the labor movement.
It has been through their organization
into unions that they have gained the
position they hold today.
But organization ceases to exist as
soon as those who are supposed to be ;
a part of the organization fail to fol-
low their duly accredited leaders and
When the rank and file be- 5
to take matters in their own hands
organization ceases and every \
hing IS confusion and chaos.
This is exactly what mas happened
In the present strike. The chiefs of the
four big railroad brotherhoods have
declared that the present strike is I'M
and they are using every I
within their power to get the
men back to work and have the differ
settled by the government board :
lust appointed by President Wilson.
Unless these brotherhood chiefs are !
wing and taking the rank n file OF
he men have deserted their unions ,
and gone out for themselves thereby
admitting that they have lost conf
in their brotherhoods, which
would Indicate thai unionism is a fall
.re. s
AS far as the public generally is con-
cerned, how can they expect to have
confidence in Il labor union IL the men
who belong to the union are going to :
as they please anyway regardless
of any agreements entered into by the
organization and in defiance Of the
chosen leaders of the union?
No wonder the better judgment of
the leaders In the ranks of labor show
concern over the present situation.
They realize that it is only through
organization that permanent results
be accomplished.
Now that the government has an
official board to take up just such mat
ters as have brought about this strike
and there Is a disposition everywhere
to give the matter prompt considera-
ton, it would seem that the wisest
thing for the men to do would be to
return to their work and stand by their
union officials thus preserving their
organization that has done so much
for them in the past. At the same
time the thousands of employees of the
many industries that are now closing
down because of lack of material to
work with. would be able to continue
at work and production would go on.
1t Is apparent that there Is nothing f,
to be gained in the long run by keep