The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1921-11-13
roo MUCH REGULATION?

The Railway Age in its current is
sue advocates the abolition Of gov.
eminent regulations of the wages and
working conditions Of all railway en-
ployees except those directly concern
ed with the operation of trains.
Zone of the worst mistakes made
in framing the Transportation act"
| the Railway Age says, was that Of
| subjecting to government regulation
the wages and working conditions of
railway employees who are not direct
ly concerned with the operation of
trains. 80
There is still, and always will be,
adequate ground for subjecting the
wages and working conditions of en-
| piOyees directly concerned with train
| operation to government regulation.
and even for absolutely prohibiting
strikes by them. The public should
not be subjected to the suffering and
loss of an actual interruption of trans
p6rtation To prevent this, special
means should be provided by the gov
eminent for settling controversies
arising between railways and employ
ees directly concerned with train oper-
alton. The right to strike should be
| entirely taken away from such en-
ployees, and there should be maintain
ed some government tribunal to which
all controversies arising between
them and the railways should be car
ried. f.g
,"As to other classes of railway en-
ployees, there is no more reason why
their wages and working conditions
should be subject to regulation by
the Railroad Labor Board, or any 9th
ey government body, than why the
wages and working conditions of me-
chanics in factories, or clerks in
stores, or laborers on farms should
be subjected to such regulation. The
only ground upon which special regu-
latio nof the wages and working con-
ditions Of any class of railway EN-
ployees can be defended is that a
strike by them would seriously inter
rupt transportation; and such effect
would not be produced by a strike Of
any class or classes of employees ex-
cept those directly concerned with the
o,,oua IT,, - trofng A atrflya ~ aY,o
ployees in the shops would be embar
assing and expensive; blt 1t would not !
cause an immediate interruption of
transportation, and would not serious |
ly interfere with transportation unless |
quite protracted. 1t would not bring |
about an actual interruption of trans
portathon as soon as a general strike
OF the coal miners, who are not rail-
way employees at all, and whose wag- |
Oh and working conditions are not reg
ulated by the government. No con-
eeivable strike of other classes OF |
employees, such as those employed In
maintenance OF tracks, would cause |
an interruption of transportation.
ut may be contended that the wag
es and working conditions of all rail-
way employees should be regulated
for broad social reasons. But If the
wages and working conditions of all
railway employees should be regulat
ed, not for reasons peculiar to the
transportation industry but for broad
social reasons, then so should the wag-
es and working coalitions of men EN-
ployed In all other kinds of industries
There is no popularity, either legal
or economic, OF the railroad business
which justifes special regulation of
the wages and working conditions of
any of its employees except those di.
rectly concerned with the operation of
trains.
THE labor organizations unani-
mously opposed the adoption of the
present labor provisions of the Trans
portation Act, and therefore IL seems
reasonable to assume that they would
gladly see these provisions so amend
ed that they would cease to apply TO
most classes OF railway employees.
The employees directly concerned
with the operation Of trains are only
about rs per cent OF all railway en-
ployees. and the entire problem of
useful government regulations and eff.
ficient management Of railways would
be greatly simplihed by Withdrawing
all regulations from the wages and
working conditions of the other 75
per cent of the employees"