The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-10-17
RAIL OUTLOOK BRIGHT
SAYS ROGER. ". BABSON
Famous Hconomist 6Ses Opportunity
Rather than D4nadTAntAGs In
Threatened STRIKE

1T, is hard 10 believe mat thcTe Will
he general railroad strike. TN tho
other hand. Il was hard to believe mat
the railroad union leaders wouId pu' INC
question Ia vote or thai IN" employees
would vote t. strike when the question
wRR put on the ballot. Ho'h or 'hess
have come TO pass. Inc
union leaders called for a vote and he
employees have voted oVerwheirnlhs!S
IN strike. The result Of this Note 10
yerv signIncAnt because II prooapi!
would have been a different vote II an
other high Sign had been passed aoouF'
I, Is always possible TO tell In ADVANCE
or from talking with the men. what tho
result Of strike vote VIII De: eeiote
voting, most Of tho men ASK w nat TO-
SUI, is wanted AID the desired result
usually is obtained.
Various cXplana lions arc gwen toI
this particular action. Very rev tn'hA
that the men arc not Wiling 10 Nho "
l2i,ec cut Something else Is inVoiVeo
In The case besides the wage question
Some think that this IS being useo as
m,ans Of changing the control OF some
Of the unions and some think other rea-
sans exist for this peculiar action. Tho
most plausible rea son IL that the unions
don't ike the Railroad Labor Board ana
are guius {" threaten TO strike IN oruer
20 force congress 20 leglslate the tIni-
road Labor BOARD out OF existence IL
~ .ven rumured that some OF the rail-
road officials arc quietly acqu!eScing IN
the program.
"T'Le Rni!rond Labor Board has. IN
fortuna '",y mad" enemies with ooth the
owners and n" employees OF the rai-
roads This Is always the case "he"
one tries t. v~rv. twn masters: he sue
vii
has also !"SI stand.nr ny not giving
rronrp; arl rl.ar-rut decisions Nobody
likes wohh.err Really thig l. pity
because the members are conscientious
men, and there should be Railroad
Labor BOARD Al new organiza lions
make mistakes at the beginning OF their
work. | believe that II this board is
allowed t. continue. 4 vii! learn from
experience end do better every year
why It May Bsnsht
"Drdinsrl!y railroad strike such as
- now threatened. would he very pau
thing for security holders. but such
should not l." the case today. for sew
t-al reasons.
Il. The union leaders state that no
STRIKE will be called unless II is gen
eral STRIKE tina IS. ore group. aueh -
the truiumcn, Or the shopmen. will not
locomotive engineers. strike s'multa-
neouslv. Now il there ia ono thing tina;
Mbor history has demonstrated "n7"!u-
slve!y, II is that genera! strikes always
.ail.
.. The railroad presidents and their
other officials haze abou; exhausted
their patence. Some ~ these look upon
:, strike at his tine an distinct boom
t. tho railroad Industry, They say:
We have GOT 70 have showdown some
tine and there never could be bet
ter time than right now before business
reaumes.'
- TIE railroad employees BY strix-
Ing now would not have the sympathy
Of the public. The public has made up
80 mind that there should be lidui-
dation In wages ms well as In materials
and everything else. The public. knows
that general prices have fallen 20re to
SOC. and that the Coz. % living Ia on
the decline They believe that cut
" IT, Is easonabie.
cor course ( such n threatened strike
IL carried Out there viii he n break In
railroad scc1rtI"s but il vii? be only
temporary. and /; should afford great
opportunity 20 max" attractive pur-
chases Of certain railroad securities,
Railroad employees themselves would
show good judgment in buying at such
time. The railroads have turned a
corner and an attempt 10 pull of n
general strike may be just III" thing
needed "a si%" the railroads good
boost on the road ~ prosperity.
"Meanwhile. general business shows
gradual but steady Improvement. II
now stands M IS points below norma,
compared with 1o.5 points below last
week an Improvement Of IS points In
a. many days"
(Al rights strictly rcserved.)