Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-17

all railroad presidents fn't this WV
Fer" was no agreement anon" thow
ana no action. At about this time
President Harding WAS tN ,u
Dy senator Cummins nnd other mrmG".>
Of the upper house informed about in
ttrHtat" romncrC" TO use all his in
tu"nc" to bring about at ono and the
sam" time cut both in rates and
wages.
Feared Court Action
The difficulty with this policy was
that both the interstate Commerce
commission and the Labor Board are
| N Il sem" judicial bodies and it was
/ not possible TO order them to make
rutS without inquiry. Even il they hal
been disposed 10 do so, the courts would
| probably have intcrvencd IN the dis
! putc and the question Of lower rates and
/ lower wages would have been tied up
! indefinitely.
The only way in which the Admin
."trat!on could have worked ont the
| policy which Senator Cnmmins and 50
many others advocated would have been
! III 90. operation with the railroad man
! ayers And thcy, as already said, We,
! by no means agreed about cutting rates
| Will" II they had all conceded the point
III" ADMINISTRATION had no real con
| tro, Of the corresponding cut in wages
! Tie President was, However. in n
position 70 exercise considerable pressure
| upon tie railroads. 4 public d"clarn
| ton by him Of his view that both rates
and wages should b" cut at the same
! Tim" and in similar proportion woull
! IWv" Ind great effect upon cyery one
concerned. Moreover, the raiIroad
""I rrcking money from tho Govern
Hrnt in payment Of war claims against
, It.. The nrel of this money b, the rondy
vas n powerful lever whirh might have
been used 10 bring about a cut in rates
/ Which would have made a cut in wage,
NOR" readily accepted by the unions.
For reasons which are not clear, thr
! situulion was allowed to drift. Th,
! War Labor Board announced cur II
WaG"7 during July no cur in rate
| fol,oWcd. The railway workers wer,
nngcr"d by what thoy felt to be dis
crjujLutton against them.
The public was disappointed. Thi
! created a situation in which il bccam
impoesiblc for the Administration to &c
through Congress its bill for the pay
! mcnt Of $500 900, 600 in war claims I,
the railroads. Congressman insisted TIM
tho payment should be conditional upol
Il reduction Of transportation costs.
Two Eites at Wage Cherry
Also an unfortunate CONDITION wa
rrented by making two hitcs Of tn
cn .rry Of wage rcductlons. \ cut rs dee,
as tho two proposed cuts might hav
"n made If II had been part Of
policy which included II similar cut il
freight rates and Il payment 10 the rail
roads which would have started repair
ana rep aCGmcnts and thus increase
pmploymcnt. As II Is now, wage redu'
tlons have been made more bitter b
coming in two inHtallments.
It is moro irritating 10 worker
, hnvc his pay cut twice than to have
cut once effectively. 1t is reali2atio
luf mi. fact that has led the public rep
roscntatlvcs On the Wage Board to urg
that the proposed second cut be dropped
Tn" workers now have on their side a
oficial decision that the July cut rep
rcscnts fair adjustment Of wages
the present cost of living.
In the meantime, while the railwa
executives have been disputing anon
themselves over a cut In rates, MI thu
prompt reduction and prompt pay
= mcnt Of war Gains might have meal
; IN the stimulation Of industry has bee
lust 10 tho country.
II Il difficult to apportion the hlam
for all the facts are not known. B'
there has been tcmporizing which hi
now brought about crisis.