Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-15
r all Outlook Bright
Says Babson
Famous Economist Sees Oppor-
tunity Rather Than Disadvan-
tagc in Threatened Strike.
can Fights strictly Rcscrve')

ut is bard TO believe that there will
be a general railroad strike On the
other hand, it was hard to believe that
the railroad union leaders would put
the question TO vote or that the em-
ployees would vote TO strike when the
question was put on the ballot. Both
of these lmprobabilties have come to
pass. The union leaders called for a
vote and the employees have voted
Overwhelmingly to strike. The re-
suit OF this vote Is very significant be-
cause II probably would have been a
different vote IL another "high sign
had been passed about. II is always
possible to tell in advance, or frbm
talking with the men. what the re-
suit of a strike vote will be. Before
voting most men ask. WHAT result
/ is wanted?' and the desired result
usually is obtained.
Various explanations are given fof
this peculiar action. Very few think
that the men are not willing tu take
! q 121s per cent cut. Something else
is involved in the ease besides the
wage question. Some think that this
! - htAit AFth rs ~ lithHN VI tltdnkillE
/ the control of some of the unions
and some think other reasons exist for
This peculiar action. The most plaus-
lille reason is that the unions don't
like the Railroad Labor Board and are
going 10 threaten to strike in order
to force Congress to legislate the Rail-
road Labor Board out os existence.
IL is even rumored that some OF the
railroad officials are quietly acquiesc.
ing in this program.
THO Railroad Labor Board has IN
fortunately made enemies With both
owners and the employees OF the rail-
roads, This is always the case when
one tries to serve two masters; he
succeeds IN pleasing neither. The
Board has also lost standing by not
giving prompt and clear-cut decisions
Nobody likes wobblers. Really this
Is a pity, because the members are
conscientious men and there should
, be a Railroad Labor Board All new
organizations make mistakes at the
beginning of tneir work. ! believe thai
IL this Board is allowed TO continue
IL will learn from experience and dC
better every year.
q Ordinarily a railroad strike. such
as is now threatened. would he a very
: bad thing for security holders. bu
. such should not ne the case today. fol
several reasons,
: Il. The union leaders state that n,
strike viii be called unless It is
general strilSe,' that is, one group sucl
as the trainmen. or the shopmen, vii
not strike unless all groups includinl
the locomotive engineers strike 81
! multaneously. Now. il there is on
= thing that labor history has demon
strated conclusively, it is that genera
I strikes always fail.
! -. The railroad presidents an,
? their officials have about exhauste,
their patience. Some of these lool
) upon a strike at this time as a dis
tinct boom 20 the railroad industry
They say: We have got to have
showdown some time and there neve
: could be a better time than right nov
i before business resumes
%. The railroad employees by strik
: 'rg now would not have tht sympath,
5 OF the public. The public has mad
up its mind that. there should be
liquidation in wages as well as in ma
terials and everything else. The pub
iic knows that general prices hav
fallen 20 percent 10 80 Pc cent an
: that the cost of living is on the de
cline. They believe that cut OF 12t
per cerr is reasonable.
. "Of course. If such a threatene
! strike is carried out there will be
= break in railroad securities. but
= will be only temporary and it shoul
= afford a great opportunity to MAX
: attractive purchases Of certain raj
! road securities. Railroad employe
themselves would show good iudgmeI
in buying at such a time. The raj
- roads have turned a corner and an a
, tempt to pull Off general strike ma
be just the thing needed To give II
= railroads a good boost on the road
prosperity.
Meanwhile. general business SHOW
3 gradual but steady Improvement.
- now stands at 65 points below norm
= compared with 72.5 points below la
'' week-an improvement of rs poin
in as many days"