The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-03-12
RAILWAY WAGE CUTS.

However much one may regret the Industrial
disturbance almost certain TO follow the railway
wage cuts that arc being made by the various
transportation companies. no man who has
borne the responsibilities OF investment and had
experience In general business management will
permit himself to indulge in criticism based
nothing more substantial than speculative econ
onics and ideasIc theorlea
II Is folly to charge that the railway manage
ments arc scizng an opportunity 20 pound down
the wages OF their employees. Because the de-
light of every capable buslness management IL
10 pay the largest wage that the income of the
business will permit 1t is much more logical
to assume that railway managers have been
driven to their decision through tho operation
of inexorablo laws that did not leave them even
the shadow of discretion; knowing too, that in
such a course they were bound to encounter a
storm tho full effect OF which could not bo
oven dimly anticipated, yet forced to such course
because there other
The demand has been wcli-ngh universal
that tho industrial commercial and political
world our part OF these worlds at least
return to normal. That has been the necessity.
And all business concerns have set about its nc-
cofnpllshment In tho one way possible; that is to
say by actually doing It. a public jaded by
tho ever-mounting costs OF all commodities and
service. almost instantly ceased entering tho
gIded portals with weiifilled purse In It's
hand. Stagnation followed. TO relieve the stag
nation and bring about general resumption OF
business. trade In all OF Il. varied ramificatlons
must needs be stimulated
Interpreted into every y-day and common place
terms that meant that prices must come down
to a point where tho psychology OF the public
would account the decline essential to justice
and again resume buyiag, Tho vastly important
part transportation has In the scheme of in
dustry and commerce rendered 1t impcratlvey
certain that transportation concerns must face
the problem and contribute towards It's ISOLATION
precisely as the farmer, the banker, the manu-
facturer and the miner.
And yet. standing there like n spectre OF
menacing import was the grotesque so-called
wage adjustment made by the McAdoo railway
regime with tho various classes OF railway em-
ployes during the war. The substance OF this
spectre must needs be tested for 1t could neither
30 evadcd nor yet given recognition as an es-
sential. It was impossible to impose upon the
public increase In carrying charges that
would enable the managements TO meet their
fixed charges and bring their properties up to
the standard OF efficiency required by the de-
mands made upon them by that public: so that
the alternative, regardless OF its consequence
was to directly attack the spectre and seek lts
removal.
The wage reductions may and probably will be
followed by industrial disquietude But that did
not and 1t cannot affect the fact that tho time
had arrived where 1t was imperatively ncces-
sary to force "A general recognition that there is
a party OF legitimate interest In the railway
wage controversy other than the four brother
hoods.