The Bozeman courier., 1921-10-19
THE RAILROAD STRIKE


trouble for, like every family, there seems to
be just one thing after another bobbing up to
keep up the turmoil It's another case of some
body always taking the joy out of life.
When prices began to take a downward slant, |
and everything seemed to be shaping for the
better we heard lot about the first costs. Then
the next trouble was labor costs on production.
These seem to be adjusting themselves and the |
next trouble was freight rates.
The railroads declared they could not reduce
rates with the wage question unsettled. They
declared to reduce rates without reduction in
the wage scale would land them all in the bank
ruptcy courts. If only the federal labor board
would help by securing lower wage scale of the
men handling the trains the railroads could make
a corresponding reduction in freight and there
would be saving in cost of commodities
The federal board met and after long de-
liberation ordered cut in the scale of railroad
employees amounting to 1912 per cent of their
present pay. This would leave the employees re-
ceiving wages considerable higher than they re
ceved before the advancing began and about
fifty per cent of what they were receiving at the
highest scale. Then the row started
The Big Four in the railroad organizations
Immediately started vote to find out whether
or not the employees would accept the cut or
strike. There really was no necessity of taking
the vote for the count in the past has always
shown the majority in favor of strike at every
occasion. The result of the recent vote was as
expected in favor of a strike. There was saw
ing clause to the effect that if the railroads
would make an equal reduction in charges for
freight, the strike would not go into effect.
Many of the heads of various organizations
among the railroad employees, made honest eff
forts to avert the strike. There were those who
are level headed and far seeing enough to advice
the men that strike at this time would mean
disaster, not only to the country, but to the
unions They could see that strike at this time
would mean fight to the finish, between the
public at large and the railroad unions. Not be-
cause the public loves the railroads more but
because the public is tired of being the goat, and
loves it's own interests to a greater extent than
it has sympathy for the unions.
There is no organization of men banded to-
gether in unions that has enjoyed greater bene-
fits, during the past four years, of high wages
and short hours, than those of which the rail-
road employees are members. None of the unions
have had more consideration given them, and
the statement has been made by men in the en-
poy of the railroads, that the present wage scale
is too high. There has been a situation during
the past few years, which has tended to cause
the sympathy which was formally felt for the
railroad worker to gradually change to OF
contempt for their instant demands for high
wages. The big STICK of a strike always waived
at the slightest opportunity has disgusted the
public in general
Now that there has been date set for tn,
strike, the transportation and commodities of th
nation are threatened with obstruction, and ther
is nothing the unions can do to prevent the las
vestage of friendly feeling toward them from
being withdrawn. such time in the caree
of nation it is not just nor is it right, for tn
railroad organizations to attempt to keep thei
wages upon higher ratio than those of othe
tradesmen who have suffered reduction to thei
incomes Every business establishment is takin
loss and nearly every other union has stood tn
cut in wages bringing them back to nearly i;
same as they were four years ago. No reaso
exists for the railroad employees attempt to kee
their wages above the rest.
If the strike does go into effect, and it seem
increditable such foolish move will be mad
there is but one outcome. The unions comprisir
the railroad employees will fail and that wi
greater disaster to the than the cl
in wages now being fought over At the san
time there will not be business establishmel
in the country but will also loose. To all tn
there VIII be added the effect of the many million
of other classes of labor, union men who will
forced out OF work through the strike The 9th