The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1921-10-28
NO SECOND WAGE CUT
President Harding Had Been
Hoping for a Cut in Freight
Rates and the Helpless Pub
lie Waiting for the best it
Could Get Will Probably
Benefit.
BY David Lawrence

Copyright 1921 by The Daily Time
Washington, Oct. 27.-The U. s
!, Railroad Labor Board has practicall
. averted the strike set for next wee
;, on Americas railway systems.
The brotherhood chiefs have wo
a temporary victory.
II he railroad executives will b
, compelled to bow to the inevitable
and postpone their request for sec
ond wage cut. Even if they fail II
withdraw it, the decision of the u. S
,, Railroad Labor board to ignore The
request until next July will be ;uf
ficient ground for the union to per
suade their men to stay at work.
The foregoing is the view taken
here of the latest developments in
the railroad situation. Every move
made at Chicago has been with the
knowledge and consent Of tho Hard
ing Administration Executive inau-
ence has beea behind the scenes from
the beginning. The Railroad Labor
board is carrying out to the letter
the program agreed upon by the Ad-
ministration ard announced ia these
dispatches last week.
In reality President Harding mas
left that the whole thing was an un-
fortunate misunderstanding in which
mutual suspicion played more of a
part than did the actual merits of
the controversy. He has refused to
allow a quarrel over imaginary is
sues to force railroad strike on a
helpless public. Mr.. Harding went
straight to the bottom of the case
and found that the railroad brother
hood leaders were ordering a strike
to make good their original protest
against a second wage cut. That
second cut had not even been debated
or the facts presented to the Labor
Board. So far as the merits Of the
case were concerned, it was purely
an imaginary issue. .
The President has been hoping for
cut in freight rates. Decisions
have been announced making some
sweeping reductions. E'ut the ex-
pected cut in freight rates on lum-
ber is still pending. And the de-
cision in the grain case is really an
invitation to the coal shippers and
others to get busy and ask for the
same reductions. And the Farm
Bureau has already applied.
On the other hand, the President
has realized that the chief cause of
the mix-up was the tendency of both
the railroads and the labor leaders
to move too precipitately. The first
wage cut Of last July had not been
accepted by the men when the rail-
road executives threatened another
dose. But the Administrator be-
lieves it would be more tactful, even
from the railroad viewpoint if suf-|
ficient time were permitted to
elapse so that the effects of the first
wage cut could be digested by the
men, so that, to be sure, they could
make the necessary adjustments in
their household budgets. The Sec
ond wage cut may or may not mate
.ialize. Why, asks Mr.. Harding.
nave railroad. strike over something
hat may yet become unnecessary. ,
There is a feeling in some quar-
ers that further reductions in
freight rates now will be postponed
co. In other words, the govern
nent says in effect to the railroads
Withhold your request for a second
wage cut until the first is an accom-
,!ished fact and the workers have
made their adjustments. Then we
will see whether the earnings of the
Dads between now and next July
Justify a further decrease in wages
r another drop in freight rates."
The Interstate Commerce Commis-
ZION has not been eager to reduce
'reight rates too rapidly. 1t has I
'een hoped that the reductions
Continued on Page 81