The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1920-02-20
raAlhMEhMAY srRIke.

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THE steel strike failed outright ant
the coal strike ended in compromise
much short Of what the Mine Work
efs.Upion had demanded. These tive
Incidents rather discouraged the be
liefsin the Omnipotence of nation
wide endeavor Of the union labor
employed in essential industries, but
the railroad brotherhoods are still i'm
bued with the belief that the great
power lies In their Keeping, and they
continue to make demands on the gov
eminent administration of railroad
properties. s.
They still remember how their chief
held o watch on the United States
senate, usually deliberate, and forced
the passage OF the Adamson law in q
given time. A few days ago the CON
ference committee having In charge
the bills that propose the return of
the railroad properties to their own
ers struck out the anti-strike clause
that was in the Cummins bill as 1t
passed the senate. Immediately fol.
towing that action we read In the
Washington dispatches that wage ne
gotiations of the railway employees
with Director General Hines had
reached o critical stage" 1t is fur
Tier said that "a strike looms up"
nniess PENDING demands are satisfac-
fofily settled.
lit sis the Brotherhood of Railway
Traininen who are making this es.
psciai trouble. They are already the
Best paid class Of men in the country
Tor the work they do What more
tlley want, or rather demand, is not
specifically stated; but whatever it
fs.,tf granted, it would be but short
time, before a further increase IN pay,
shorter hours, or both, were called for
The traipmen are actuated by that
fsimple plan" said to have su6ced the
Highland Chief, of the long ago. who
made, forays on. the Lowlands, Let
him take who hath the power" and
they are, fully persuaded of their pow
err, The manner Of their ratiocina-
ZION runs after this fashion: The
country cannot survive without trans
portation,'s wes control transportation;
therefore we can boss the country.
The squndness OF this sylogism re-
mains to lbe proved, but the railway
hfptherhoods are confident that it Is
logically correct, or at any rate they
manifest q disposition to putt to the
test. II the test is bound to come, it
might be well to have the spasm pass
Up soon as possible.
What the brotherhoods really want
b,whatAis foreshadowed in the Plumb
hiite They would force the govern.
ihept TO purchase the railroads and
deliver them into the brotherhood's
hsnds. srs. ~
N.The high pay now accorded the
hat1nlen comes out Of the pockets
htthe people. II is counted In the
s1rtous deficits the government has
Incurred in its, attempts at railroad
control. and 10 therefore virtually a
tax on the, public. 1t is also counted
hi the increased cost OF travel and
transportation that the public must
pay.s
THE railroad employees have extra
ordinarily high pay, even in these
days, when high pay is the rule. and
many OF them have received arrears
insconsiderable sums. 1t has become
wholly apparent that they are insati-
ute. and will make endless demands
hecause OF their satisfied belief that
they have the power to compel com.
pliance with anything they may ask.
J The high wages paid railway labor
has. a .demoralizing effect on farm
trber., 1T not. only draws away labor
nom the farms. but makes that con.
tlgnots to railroad lines discontinued.
Bsisa ffnpossible for the farmers to
thegt The prices paid by the railroads
fpr, SECTION hands and other forms Of
Kbor on parity with that done on
no farms.
AsRAilroad trainmen do work that IN.
solyes' hazard and entails responsible.
n.y. They should be well paid! but
they are growing insatiate. and, what
is.worse, sthe brotherhoods seek, by
fksir organized power, to hold up the
government, make the nation bend to
their wishes aud take orders from
their chiefs. That lis not an agree
3blei situation. 1t has a baneful por.
tent as to the outlook FOR our demo
CRITIC institutions. II means. the at
tempted dictatorship OF. a class or
soRhination that would be .insuffer-
able. w. 80
Z II is sincerely hoped that there viii
as'iio spiore strikes: that the great
transportation interests of the couh-
try be not thrown into state Of riot
nus disturbances. For the good OF