The Washington times., 1921-03-02
DELAY
S. PROGRESS
Well Being Of Millions Depends
On Success Of Carriers, Says
Norman Hapgo0d.
By NORMAN HAPGOOD.

Under all the hurly-buriy Of APP
pointments, ceremonies, new houses
purchased, wives OF new officials
socially appraised, there goes stead
lily on something more important
than any of these excitements.
PUBLIC CARES LITTLE.
To a laboring man. a clerk, coun-
try storekeeper or a farmer II makes
no great difference who Is the first
assistant secretary OF bunk or what
bill has been introduced to be lost In
the everlasting graveyard OF the Com
mitteo on Rules.
To every one OF these Americans,
however. TO his wife. and child. II
makes y lot OF difference what be-
comes OF the railroads in the next
twelve, six or even three months.
II no way Is found out of the pres
ent railroad situation. no way will be
found to regain pre-war energy and
prosperity. II IL not only the millions
who own railroad stocks and bonds
who are concerned. 1t is equally
critical for everybody whose goods
are moved. be they steel or cabbages.
and for everybody whose prosperity
depends on the general prosperity Of
the country.
FACTS WILL DEVELOP.
am going to tell some OF the
more recent facts In this article. The
facts will develop with theatrical
rapidity, and. therefore, the reader
who wants to keep track OF them had
better have his eyes open for num-
Der of months. Before summer lot
Of things will break.
First / am going to narrate a talk
have just had with one Of the in
coming Cabinet members.
"If things go on at the present
rate" he said. "the roads will be in
the hands of a receiver at the end of
three months"
what ought to be done?" ]
asked.
The rates are now so high" he
replied, that we are up against the
law of diminishing returns. They
cannot be put up further without abb
solutely diminishing the receipts.
Costs must come down.
The greatest difficulty Is that one Of
the costs that must come down tenn
porarily is labor. There ought to
be an entirely new understanding be-
tween the road managers and the
unions. Unfortunately the capital
lists have brought about such dis
trust OF themselves that labor will
not MAKE inc hocucu echpoioiv wi"
cessions.
Moreover, there are permanent
changes in the relations between
capital and labor that are necessary
and yet cannot be taken up hopefully
because Of this mutual DISTRICT.
take for example the eight-hour
day. That principle with the unions
is so rigid that it makes against ef-
ficiency. 1t has had its important
place, of course, but now better
principle should succeed.
SIX HOURS ENOUGH.
an some jobs six hours are plenty.
A station master of some little coun-
try station, on the other hand, who
turns up three times a day to sell
tickets for half an hour, and then
goes home to take care of the cows
or feed the chickens, is simply graft
ing IL the eight-hour rule is so inter-
preted as to force three shifts"
This official presented his view to
Mr.. Gompers.
you ought to have three princi-
PIES" he said, Gin fixing hours. One
is fatigue. That some times might
mean a six-hour day. Another Is time
for living-for family life and gen
eral human interests.
"The third is that you give back a
real days work for a real days pay.
In place of the rigid eight-hour rule.
you should insist on collective bar
gaining, on shops open to unions as
well as to others, and on shop
councils.
"If in order to save itself, capital
frankly recognized collective bargain
ing, it would increase your numbers.
because many men men would join
you who are afraid that IL they do
so they may lose their jobs"
GOMPERs STANDS FIRM.
Mr.. Gompers rejected these princi-
pies. His view is that IL labor yields
at all, capital will put something
across on 1t. The fights being made
for shops closed to unions are in
creasing that suspicion.
The decisions Of the Supreme Court
are also rapidly confirming the
unions in the psychology OF class war.
Both are unwittingly pulling toward
Government ownership.
Senator Cummins Is not well. but
he is hard at work nevertheless on
the problem of what to do with the
railroads.
Prof. Ripley has received an ex-
tension Of time In turning in his re-
port to the. Interstate Commerce Com
mission to help that body tie up the
weak roads with the strong In about
thirteen systems, with central Fed
eral control. in the endeavor to save
hem for private ownership. The
commission expects to report in the
spring.
Meantime nationally prominent
railroad owners and managers have
been down here, making startling
statements privately, but that will