Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-08-18
"RaiIroad Executives"

When we read of the controversy be-
tween the labor organizations and the
railroad executives, we naturally think
Of the railroad executives as the exc
cutive officers whose business it is to
manage the railroads.
But it is just as well to understand,
once for all, that the so-called rail-
road eXecutives-tha presidents, ETC.,
ara really not executives at all; but
only agents of the real owners.
The truth of the matter is that there
is not an important railroad in the
United States, the president of which
has any real authority in. the control
Of its policy either as to its employees
or the public.
Take the Southern railroad, for in
stance, and you will find that Presi-
dent Fairfax Harrison is only the
agent of the banking house of Morgan
and company Of New York, the real
owners, and he has no more final au-
thcrity as to the roads attitude toward
its employees than Las a division super
intendent
The attitude of the Southern toward
its shopmen, as originally outlined by
Mr.. Harrison, seemed to commend it
self to the fairness and justice of all
who arc innocent enough TO think that
those qualities are still held in regard
by the representatives of big business
The position of Mr.. Harrison was in
effect like this: "All right gentlemen,
if you don't think our terms are rea-
sonablc, we will just give you time to
think it over. We will not employ any
body in your places, or do anything
whatever to widen the breach between
US. We will just go along as best we
can, and if at any time you see proper
TO come to our terms, you may come
on back and forget the whole circum-
stance"
Then when the president published
his famous note suggesting reasona-
BILE compromise, under which he pro-
posed that the seniority issue be con-
cc12d to the shopmen, it will he re-
membered that the shopmen and the
Southern accepted, while the other
executives" declined.
1t looked very much to the outsider
as if there was no longer anything in
the way of a settlement between the
Southern and its employees, and espe-
cially if the employees still declined the
overturcs of President Harrison, they
were stubborn, unreasonable and not
entitled to any more sympathy.
- But the leaders of the shoDmen did
not fall into the trap. Knowing, as
they do, that the house of Morgan and
company is the executives" for sew
eral OF the other big roads involved in
the controversy as well as the South
ern, the overture was merely Il bait to
get the shopmen of the Southern to
desert their colleagues on the other
lines, make n separate peace, ana thus
insert the entering wedge that would
finally destroy labor organization
throughout the railroad world.
AT the present time the great strike
seems far from settlement and the
outlook is that before it is finally set
tied there will be suffering not only
among the railroad workers, but on
the part of the public; but as we see
ii, if the big banking concerns that
own the railroads succeed in whipping
the workers into line the general pub
lie will lose more that day than these
same workers will lose.
The ultimate aim of the policy of
the railroad executives seems to be to
reduce the standard of living for the
producing classes all along the line.