The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-27
barometer of Public OpiniOn
Tho INV md Tho nnlIrnnd slrIkc.

space IN your Barometer of public opinion
column. Tue public press s filled with startling
Items about the strikers at Bloomington. Ill.
ana their affiliated union brothers expressing
bitter recruitment against tho presence Of armed
troops. ], uko you, fcci that This attitude on
ylan1tlon for the benefit Of oll concerned.
Ih" i-w enacted by 'anorcss gives the work
rendered by Tho phur board. The courts have
sn hold All thu moHbrrs OF congress who
helped fran" 10" transportation act approve the
Chairman Hooper ana the majority members
OF o. s. J.. H. viii not outlay the phopmen's
unions. The law Won't lot them They acEnowl9
edge th"y are without power 20 write an anti
strike cihuHc into the labor provisions OF the
Thora is nothing In the Esch -Cunmlns law
which prohibits this or any other strike. The
tho unions shall submit their differences TO the
labor board. This has been done. The law
luc9 not require either aide TO accept The de-
clF"ns uf the boord. 10 simply relies upon the
force of public opinion TO Induce both sdes TO
accept tho bourda decisions.
In this case the shopmcn were not induced.
Perhaps public opinion dla not appear. rerhapg
10 would have been Ignored II II mad appeared
liut In any case tho right to strike remains to
the men " they choose 10 exercise It. 1t Is a
qucHIiuu Of cNpcd .cucy
The labor board savs to the worker, AS
matter Of patHouc common sense you must as
hIs. the ROADS To thrlr rect
That Ia tho way the labor board attempts to
Justify Its decision. giving more than 100000
maintenance OF way men minimum wage of
S1G3O4 year, and average wage of only
SSOO50. The highest possible full-time din
Guiding ho'doyD yearly earnings under tho
shop-craft awatd IS $l,763.44
The Burcnu Of Labor statistics has agreed
upon $2O3t22 per year as The minimum
upon which n worker can maintain his family
in dcccucy.
Tho people OF tho United states are paying
Mr.. Hopper 10000 year 10 act as chairman
of the u. s. Il. r. /" u, There Is nothing in
the law to suggest that he should serve as chief
press agent for the railroads.
What Is there TO this poverty plea which the
labor board is making on behalf OF the rail-
roads?
Tho answer to that question comes from wall
street and Is TO be found in the weekly market
10 ter OF Thomas Gibson, 81 Park Place, New
York Gibson Is no ny-by-nght curbstone op-
orator. His weekly letters are accepted as au-
thortty by tho most substantial financial in
stitutions In thI, country This Is what Gibson
says I'm a recent letter concerning tho "lmpov-
erishcd" railroads;
at appears that the roads as a whole are In
a very much stronger cash and asset position
than ever before In history.
In vicw OF the pleas Of poverty and approach
Ing bankruptcy these conditions Will surprise
"As pointed out In a former letter the roads
had the three most prosperous years In his
tory, preceding federal control, and the profits
OF that period (meanInR during federal con-
troU were guaranteed until September, 1880.
"rhe profits OF these six years were not swol-
lon up ty poor earnings OF n single year. during
which practically all lines OF business suffered
moro than did tho roads. But of course the
fact that the roads were rolling In wealth was
kept out Of sight as long as possible. This state
OF affairs does not fit in with the propaganda
of ruin.
situation | have submitted the annual reports
| OF large number Of roads to an accountant
'The exhibit covers railroad systems having
i34,737 miles OF line, or over half the total
mileage OF the United states, The comparison
with 1917 Is made because that was the year
| in which the roads were in a stronger cash and
asset position than in any former year.
| Here are the important figures;
ON December 81, 1917 the roads had in cash
or equivalent, $3O2 566,oo0 on December 81,
| 1921 they had s659,O9l,OOO. an increase Of lis
! on December a. 1917 the materials and sup
| plies hand were valued at $292,lSO'OOO. on
! December 81, 1921, these same items were val
| uod at Si072GO,O0O. An increase of 80 per
These items show that the total current as
| sets OF these companies had increased 81 per
| cent between December 81, 1917. when the
! roads were tak"n cyer hy the government a!:!
| total current liabilities had increased only 70
| per cent.
| roads were to pay off all their current habhl-
! ties they would have left $6G7,7l3,00o as against
$aO9 499 900. on December 81 1917. An In
| crease In net current assets OF ll5 per cent
Remember that 1915, 1915, 1917 were the
most prosperous years in the history Of the
| railroads OF this country
Thcrefore as Mr.. Gibson points out, on De-
| cembcr 81, 19l7, the roads were In better con-
dtlon than they had ever been In their history
| prior to that date. This makes the showing on
| December 81. 1921, all the more impressive
Remember, too, when you consider these
| figures, fh0t the rHlNouuS appear w w NtFy
| anxious TO protect the public and see that II
| does not suffer from the want OF the necessi'
| tlca of life. IL It has the money to pay thelI
| (menning the railroads. prices
| In view OF the foregoing figures, how can me
| majority OF labor board suggest that the ran!
| road workers should acoup: starvation wages
| in order that the roads may DO put back or
| their foet?' -.
| In view of the foregoing figures, may we rely
| upon the force OF public opinion TO induce tht
| labor board to not only give these workers d
| living wage but n saving wage "a We'll
| Higher wages mean moro money In the chan
nels ~ business consequently more profits FOL
merchants. ,., .
Higher wages mean greater opportunities FOL
| business and lead to higher prices for rent anc
| to home ownership.
In this way a fight against reduction and to
the maintenance of present schedule or wages
concerns every property owner, business MAJ
and banker For the more money earned, I'M
more money is spent and the more money STORED
or deposited, 49,
Tho strike Is overybody's fight and the from
line trenches (meanng public opinion) ls IN
| place for every man and woman In TINS country
Then ana not until then will we have gov
ernment that can truthfully have said OF
that 1t is OF the people, for tho people ana D.
tho people.
Sanulpa July go MRS, JOHN STRoUb,