The Tomahawk., 1921-06-16

States railway labor board. The new
rates of pay can 60 into effect on July
1, at which time the contract for the
present national agreement with the
railroad workers expires. This agree
ment includes 1O4 railroad corpora
tons and most Of the important rail-
road mileage of the country.
Officials of the railroad unions have
not yet stated their position and that
of their men on this order. Except
that they do point out how the present
agitation for low wages on railroads
is part of war against labor unions
directed from the country's financial
| center.
Railroad executives had asked a de-
crease in wages Of rs per cent and
| hence the reduction to IL per cent may
be regarded as an acceptable compro-
mise by the employees, especially so if
they can get other points they are
fighting for in the new agreement to
be drawn up. Hours and conditions
of labor as well as pay are important
considerations in railroad work.
Consideration of the cost of living
apparently did not have much to do
with the government labor boards de-
cision. A decline in a few commodi-
ties like sugar has been offset largely
by increases in some others, particu-
larly the important item of rent. Rail-
road labor representatives claim that
the cost Of living has declined not
more than per cent and that during
the war and up to 1921 wages dragged
behind increases in cost of living.
So much has been said in the last
two years to induce people to believe
that the chief trouble with railroads
was high wages that one good result
is bound to come from the wage cut if
it is accepted.
While railroad workers will suffer,
the public will learn more of the truth
about private railway management.
The highest estimate of the cost say
ings through wage reductions is $780,
100000 year.
The deficit for the past year has
been about twice this sum, with rec
ord freight and passenger rates. The
financiers drain away the resources of
the roads for their own benefit and
Will continue to do so.
We shall all know that wages are
not the cause.
SENATE PASSES NAVY BILL
On June 1 the senate passed the
$500, 600, 900 navy budget bill by vote
Of 81 to II. Aware that the sentiment
of the country was overwhelmingly
against such huge appropriation a
rollcall to show who voted for the bill
was not permitted.
BUSINESS IN GOVERNMENT
A injecting of the best financial
minds" was called by President Hard
ing on May "a. In addition to Secre-
tary Mellon, Secretary Hoover and
the president, J. P. Morgan, Paul
Warburg and half dozen other men
"of great influence and power in finan-
cial circles" were present.
IS It appears that such meetings are
to be held frequently. They are to be
substitute for the dollar-a-year-man
institution under the Wilson regime.
The dollar-a-year men took possess
sion of the government, and the best
financial minds are likely to be no less
ambitious.
Harding's policy of business in gov
eminent rather than government in
business has the full right of way and
can be judged by results.
THE ANGLO-AMERICAN ALL
49, ANCE
Speeches of Colonel Harvey, our
ambassador to England, in London
and Paris strengthens the impression
that close alliance between America
and England is rapidly taking shape.
With American aid England can re-
place France as the dominating fac
tor in Europe.
Matters of big business calculations
appear to make such an alliance prac-
tically inevitable. New York and
London financial powers have been
closely connected since the Civil war.
Previous to the World war English
capitalists had claims to about five
billions of securities and other prop
erty in this country. =
The war wiped out most of these
foreign holdings here and left the
English a debtor to our financiers by
about two billions and to our govern
ment by over four billions. The Nor
gan syndicate did all the buying for
England in this country from 1914 to
1918 and this tied US up still more
closely with England. The new cred
itor must help strengthen the debtors
possibilities Of paying. 49,
An Anglo-American working agree
ment can bring about temporary pac-
ification by eliminating France, Italy,
Greece and Germany from imperialis-
tic activity. In other words, the alli-
ance will hog the world until the next
world war Of rex aQion against it's
power occurs. -. +
Denial of the normal capitalist priv
ileges to other nations must sweep