The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-08-15
EvERYBODY'S BUSINESS

The Tampa Tribune carefully sizes
up as follows the public's interest in.
strikes:
Every man, woman and child in
South Florida is directly concerned in
the settlement of the railroad miners
strikes.
If the strikes should be settled on
terms that do not guarantee for every
man the right to work, your own iber-
to of action will be abridged.
Should such a settlement of the
coal strike be arranged as would make
possible monopolistic control of the
production in all mines by those re-
sponsible for the present strike, then
the next time a strike is called there
would be no Independent miners and
operators to protect you.
Even as it is, the strike grip is so
tight on the throat Of industry that
with the slowing of transportation,
because of the railroad strike, there is
serious danger that public utilities
will be without coal What would it
mean to you if the water company
the gas company, the electric light
companies and the street car COM
pany were unable to operate?
| Public tolerance of strikes such as
now affiict our country is largely re-
sponsible for their frequency.
| The average man who is not a min
err or a railroader or an employer of
either, considers it none of his affair.
The lawyer, the doctor, the mer-
chant-each goes about his daily bust
ness with "let George do it" atti-
tude toward the movement for the
settlement of the strikes.
Yet coal and transportation are so
| important to every Individual that the
| slightest disturbance in the service
which provides them for the country
directly affects the individual.
More than 100000 union miners go
on strike and about 100000 union rail-
road shop craftsmen lay down their
tools, and after a period of seriously
crippled industry suggest terms upon
which they are willing to go back to
work
The lawyer, the doctor. the mer-
chant-still pursuing the even tenor
Of his way-glances hurriedly at the
headlines in the papers and says
"Sure, let's have the thing settled"
Then he is told that the thing that
stands in the way of settlement is the
| fact that the railroad executives de-
cline to comply with the strikers de-
mand that all non-union workmen be
discharged.
And unless he stops to think, this
innocent bystander" is going to say
"Sure, settle the strike at any price
and that is where he gets hurt.
The nonunion or independent work
men kept the cars moving and the
coal coming while the other men were
on strike. They have a right to
work. They must be allowed to con-
tinue to work.
If they are to be discharged on or
ders of the strikers, then how long
will it be until there are no independ.
ent workers to serve the public when
ever a group of dissatisfied employees
| quit their jobs?
The responsibility for maintaining
competitive conditions in the field Of
production is upon the public-that
great mass of the citizenship which is
not directly identified with the mines
Or the railroads.
!. The butcher, the baker, the candle
stick maker and all the other thou
, sands of noncombatants in South
Florida can raise their voices in de
; mand that the strikes be settled, bu
that they be settled on terms that will
guarantee to every man "the right tt
work and to live by that work." and t.
be protected in that right by tn,
government from any man or grou,
of men who seek to deny him tina
right.
Let every man and women pledgt
to the president of the United State.
and state, county and municipal of
ficials of Florida their full aid ant
support in behalf of law enforcement
for the perpetuation of public right:
and for the absolute freedom of every
Icitizen to work at any lawful occu
patton without let or hindrance from
iany source whatsoever.
| The WanchnIa duncatn iS tho mos