The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-11-01
NOVEMBER 1, 1921
A

By its success in averting the threatened general railroad strike
with its attendant paralysis of the manufacturing industries of the
country and the suffering for food and fuel which must have re-
suited to the whole people had the strike been conducted as original
y planned, the railroad labor board has justified its creation. The
whole nation brcathed a sigh of relief last week when the news was
flashed over the land that the leaders Of the big Five had yielded
to the pressure that was brought to bear upon them and had issued
orders resembling the call for the walk out that was to have come
Sunday.
The board has shown a firm hand with the roads as well as
with their employees and has informed the executives that it is use
less to ask for authority to make further reductions in wage scales as
it would take months before hearings could be held and a decision
action i'll turn. The ulhmatum is that both sides must submit their
controversies and contentious to the board await turn in the hearings
thereof and for decisions thereon, and that meantime the transpurta.
ton of the country must go on as usual. Thus only can an incalcu-
liable amount of injury to industry and Inconvenience and suffering
to the people Of the nation be avoided.
Without going into the merits of the case, the contentious of the
railroad executives or the operatives, it is evident that a strike by
five of the unions, without the support of the other labor organiza-
tions would have been foredOOmed to failure at the present time and
nder existing conditions. There are mili'n ms of unemployed from
whom could have been drawn an army amply large enough to replace
the half million hat were directly affected by the strike orders. Hal
they been able TO swing 100000 railroad employees in line for a
walkOut, it might have been a different matter, but original plans TO
do that had miScarried.
An unsuccessful s1ikc would have injured organize labor If
rcparaby and AT the same tine have preciptated soct: unrest -u"h
as the nation has never known. Thus the board has benefited or
gained labor as well as industry through its achievement. When
the public is Inconvenience, a large proportion of the people think
only of their Inconvenience and do not go into the rights and wrongs
of the parties to the controversy. Under such circumstances the pro-
posed strike could not and would not have had universal sympathy.
The country had a taste of government operation of the railroads
during the war and did not like its flavor. Americans have become
will not be satisfied for long with anything that falls short of that
standard. A strike which might precipitate government operation
again, would not be popular and with that end in view would not
have the sympathy of more than a small minority of the people. Dur
ing the war the nation had a taste of too much governmental control
1t was patient only through its patriotism and it is ready for a large
amount of decentralization of authority at the present time.
The country as a whole, the labor organizations and the railroads
all are to be congratulated on the achievement Of the railroad labor
board.