The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-10-19
GOVERNOR SAYS
TRAINS MUST RUN
WILL NOT HESITATE TO CALL
SESSION OF LEGISLATURE.
HOLDS THAT 1T WOULD BE
DUTY OF STATE TO SEE THAT
TRAINS WERE OPERATED

Columbia, Oct. 18.-Trains will be
operated in South Carolina, strike Of
no strike, provided volunteers cal
be procured to man them, according
to Gov. R. A. Cooper, who last nigh
said that if it were considered neces
sary, special session of the legisla
ture would be called in order to draw
up measures deemed expedient tt
meet the emergency.
It was as no foe of organized labor
nor of collective bargaining that the
chief executive of the state said hi
spoke, but as an official who realizes
in it's fullness, the meaning of cessa
ton of railway traffic in this state al
the present time. The decline in the
price of farm products raised in thi:
state; the increase in the price OF
products raised in distant states ane
countries; the suffering and the mis-
cry that would follow in the wake Of
complete tieup of railway traffic
were visualized by the governor wher
he said "Trains must not stop"
eff this threatened railroad strike
becomes a reality" said the COVER
nor, "it will mean that the prices OF
practically everything we have tc
sell will decline, while the prices OF
products which we have to buy vii
increase.
Freight rates are now sky high
and many agricultural products, es.
pecially those raised in the West, car
not be sold because of high rates.
"The employees of the railroads
ought to understand that the public
is so vitally interested in the opera
ton of the railroads that, if suffi.
cient labor can be had, the trains
will be operated.
"In case the strike becomes real
ity, it would be the duty of the state
to use every means in its power tc
see that trains were operated.
"If it should be considered advisa
BILE to hold a special session of the
Legislature, 1 would not hesitate tc
call it.
"Neither would I hesitate to cal
for volunteers to aid in running the
trains.
II express no opinion as to the
merits of the controversy between the
railroads and their employees, but il
the employees are receiving living
wage, they will find great difficulty
in satisfying a suffering public thai
a strike is justifiable at this praticu
lar time.
"It would be advisable to begin tt
take census Of the men who are no.
members Of the union with view tt
having the trains operated, for thu
trains must run.
"The cotton farmer has suffered
very materially by reason of the de
cline in prices Of cotton as well a.
by the unprecedented low production
and no one ought to expect a govern
ment, state or national, to fail to takt
any measures which would prevent I
further loss to those engaged in agri
culture. since agriculture is th'
source of all our wealth.
"I would not have it understood
that I say that the unions have NJ
legal right to go on strike, but the!
have no moral right to call a strik'
at a time when it would entail ire
parable suffering.
"The railroad managers and EN-
ployees should be willing 70 hav
their controversy settled before tn
great court of public opinion. Tha
court functions in many ways an
while it's DEGREES may be delayed,
is inevitably the court of last resort
"The success or failure of the pro
posed strike will depend on whethe
or not it is sustained by the court o
public opinion"