Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-19
Law Without Penalty

l rN ELOiMENIS in the situation which
- threatens to eliminate in an attempt
at general tie-up of the country's system
oil rail transportation shows no material i'm
proNement. Rather. its menace appears to be
drawing nearer. Presidents of the leading
Middle Western railroads have Joined in
statement turning down as Impossible" the
proposal OF the Railroad Labor Board pu bile
group that freight rates be reduced immcd.
lately as Il possible means of averting gen.
eral rail strike. and charged that tho pro-
posed walkout would be a strike against
The government, called by the unions pri-
marily for tho purpose of multiplying the
transportation act creating the board"
The statement further aitirms that while
the railways complied with the decision of
the board i'll 1920 for an advance in wages,
me labor brothcrhoods now proposed to
DEFY the law and strike, rather than accent
much smaller reduction in wages
on the other hand. the labor brother
hoods insistently charge that the railroads
have detied orders of the Railroad Labor
Beard relating to working rules. etc. III
II had been question of wage reductions
only, declared Warren S. Stone, president
OF the brotherhood Of Locomotive Engin-
Gers, there would have been no strike"
adding that he has numerous letters giving
instances Of attempts by different roads TO
break down working rules that have been
secured by arbitration, by decision OF tho
Railroad Labor Board and in other ways.
The real purpose of the strike" said the
president OF the Erie Railroad, ais not
appreciated by some Of u.s. II is to bring
about government control-thc desire of all
LABOR bodies. some part of the public and
some members of Congress-" AS if i'm an
sWcr TO this statement, and certainly tend
ing to verify it, Mr.. Stone says: THE gov
eminent can prevent the strike by taking
over the railroads. and this is what will
happen eventually"
Hence it would appear that tho whole
controversy which threatens to eventuatc
III strike to tie up transportation resolves
Itself INTO the question whether the carriers
ana workmcn propose TO observe the law of
the land, as written into the TRANSPORTATION
act, or whether they intend to disregard Il
rms law is very plain, but there is no
penalty attached and no means for COM
peiihg us observance, except the pressure
Oh puDnc sentiment. This is one Of the
Nilai defects of the ac,, and it should never
nave been allowed to become a law without
the necessary penalty clause attached.
nevertheless, both the railroads and the
unions have accepted the statute and awaited
themselves OF its provisions when il suited
their purposes to do So
While under the weakness of the act, as
mus explained. by which the Labor Board
operates, the public may be powerlcss
through that agency 10 enforce obedience TO
the plain purpose OF the statute and end
the strike menace. il is not impotcnt TO on
force its Will through the exercise OF OF her
means OF approach vested in the govern
ment by constitutional grant This govern
ment, created Of, by and for the people
Is not impotent. under its grant OF power.
10 protect the public welfare, and in the
exercise of that power it may 20 as far as
me cNigcncics OF tho situation require. If
II may not avert the strike by resort to the
letter OF existing laws or TO the implied
authority growing out OF them, it is not
inhibited from invoking heroic measures TO
suppress it.