The Washington herald., 1921-02-21
Opinions
of Other
Ed itors
Brief Comment From
Leading Newspapers
Throughout Nation
Presidents Action Cemne.deS.
baltimore SUM

tbslumore Sun.
Whatever emergencies may have
existed in the past to justify Presi-
Dental interference, there is no ex-
cuse for such action now. in view
of the recent establishment Of legal
machinery for just such a situation
as the present. The President was
virtually asked to override or dis
regard the very law which had been
passed to deal with these questions,
and he was asked to do so lust at a
time when his authority is about to
terminate. Apart from these con-
| siderations. IL is high time to re-
| draw the line between legislative
and executive functions, not only in
! the interest of governmental prin-
ciples. bat for the protection of the
President himself. ->
tPhiladelphia Ledrer)
President Wilson's refusal to in
tervene in the dispute between the
railroad, executives and the en-
ployes over the abrogation. of the
wartime labor agreements was wise
and timely. The law has created the
machinery for the determination of
all such questions, and to invite the
interference Of Congress with mat
ters already under consideration nv
the Railroad Labor Board of the In
terstate Commerce Commission
would be confession that this Ia
Iboriously created machinery is unit
for its purpose before IL had even
been given a trial.
(Ne~ York HeraIdD
Either the machinery set I'M nv
the new railroad act for the safe-
guarding OF the rights and interests
of the carriers their labor and the
public will work or it will not work.
II it will, so much the better for
everybody. II II will not, then 4;
needs to be junked- But the onl
way to find out what IL can do or
cad not do is to give IL a chance
! along the very lines il was created
and Is intended to follow.
In any event all creation cannot
be running with its quarrels and re-
ordinations every few minutes to
the Chief Executive and the Con-
eress Of the United States and leave
time or the strength to attend to its
New York TimesD
The railway unions appeal to the
President over the head OF the Labor
Board was aStactical error like that
of one or two small railways in re-
ducing wages before conferring
with their men. The score may be
called even in this respect, but the
railways have an ADVANTAGE over
their men in not making boasts or
threats of what they will do II the
decision of the Labor Board is
against them. The leaders of the
unions are saying that they cannot
be responsible for the continuance
Of work unless the men get what
they ask The leaders make a dou-
BILE mistake by such a policy. They
discredit themselves as negotiators
and they suggest that they fear q
decision on the merits Of the contro-
versy. The country wants the work
ers to get fair wages, but Il also
wants the companies 10 get value
for the wages paid.
(New York TribuneD
From the pubiic,s point of view
encient operation is the great desid-
erstum. The railroads don't want
rates which are SO high as TO diss
courage traffic- They would rather
have q larger volume of business
done on q lower rate basis. To this
extent their interest and the pub1ic's
coincide. It In an unscfentific dis
tribut.on of the wage fund from
which the railroads say they suffer.
And IL they do, the public also does