Evening journal., 1921-10-10
TALK or RAILROAD STRIKE.

COMMENTING upon the talk OF possible general rail-
~ road strike which is current in Wilmington and
other railroad ceniers. the Railway Age says;
"The innumcrable concessions. beginning with the pas
sage OF the Adamson Act which the railway labor unions
have obtained by constant threats Of strikes and by not
nfrequen sporadic actua strikes apparently have en-
couaged them believe that whatever they cannot get
by reason they can get by II strike there must
be- the present would be- from the standpoint OF the rail-
ways and The public good time any to have H. II
the be taught or later that they
cannot dictate their own terms to the railways and The
public by constant threats OF force the they arc
taught It the better It will be for all concerned"
The ranc being handled by the railways is the smallest
for some years it would easier for the railways to
handle IT, in spite OF strike than would have been at
any time within recent years. There about 100000
men out OF employment in this country, Of whom 60OWJ
year ago were employees OF the railways The dincuy
getting replace the strikers would therefore be
much less than it would have been any time within at
least six years.
The Railway Age rldcues reports that are given out
regarding the strike votes
"Of course the votes announced" il says "are prac
ticay unanimous for a strike. They always The
percentage Of members OF railway labor union usually
announced voting for strike is 49, Sometimes IT is
only o. sometimes IL is 30 The skill the leaders have
acquired in always getting practically the percent
age OF their members to vote for strike is quite remark
able. We suspect count OF the votes under govern
mental supervision would produce results Surprisingly
different from the 9s per cent now usually announced
on the whole railway employees who have not been laid
on are better on relatively and have less TO complain
about than almost any other GLASS OF people in this
try II asserts since the recent reduction OF their
wages the average hourly wage is i34 per cent more
than 1914 In August according to the statistics Of the
Northern Industrial Conference Board the cost
Of living all parts OF the United States only about
e. per cent more OF the and comforts Of life
than he could before the
The average hourly wage union labor employed IN all
industries increased between 1914 and 1920 only little
one-hsf much that OF railway labor and with
ton The average prices OF farm products only
about IS per cent than in 1914 while The prices OF
the things the farmer has 70 buy relatively much
higher. The result is that he cannot buy with given
amount OF his products nearly much OF other things
he could in 1914 While however railway employees as
class are relatively much better on than the farmers
and most other working men, the leaders Of the unions
busy engaged in taking and counting votes on the
question Of strike
There important feature OF the strike votes now
being taken which makes them different from any ever
taken before The Transportation Act empowers and
directs the Railroad Labor Board 10 fix reasonable
and working conditions for railway employees II the
Labor Board performs It's duty in accordance with the
provisions Of the Act a strike by railway employees In
violation Of us decision would be plain violation OF
Federal law.
Therefore" concludes the Railway Age the strike
votes now being taken votes 10 determine whether
railway employees shall commit wholesale violations OF
Federal law"