Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-08-03
THE STRIKES AND THE COUNTRY

THE STRIKES AND THE COUNTRY
TYP TO the moment this is written the country has
~ never seen a menace of industrial breakdown SC
incompetently handled by the Federal Government
as are the twin strikes Of the coal miners and the
railway men. Hestancy and uncertainty, contra
dctory attitudes, have marked every statement and
move, the Administration appearing to be swayed
10y any and every advisor that got its At this
writing Fuel Administrators have been appointed
which cannot be interpreted as anything but sur
render before defeat The American people must
regard with chagrin the feeble hands that grope
and tumble around the nations helm
The Government itself is in wrong" to begin
with 1t was with Government approval that the
railway workers wages were lowered when it was
absolutely certain that such an act would precipi-
tate a strike and tie-up. An agency Of the Gov
eminent undertook to do the dirty work of the
railway owners, to give corporation act the as
pect of Government edict, and now that the strike
has come here are United States officials silly
enough to say is strike against the Government
Committed to the railway owners side of the
wage disputes, the Administration must back up
its folly, repent-and repentance is about the
last thing to expect in affairs of this kind
And not the Administration only, but the associ-
ated powers of wealth and exploitation must share
the very serious responsibility There is no doubt
at all that this strike is part and parcel of the pro-
cess of DEFEATING LABOR" which WIS begun
so deliberately and carried on so heartlcssly at the
close of the 1t is even now being whispered
across the country, kind of secret can:1,aign
argument, that anufacturers-especialy manu-
facturers--must be patient with the present de-
structlve situation because it is only part of the
program of putting labor where it belongs" 1t is
openly charged in various reports in the hands of
u President that these strikes were desir> bv the
owners of .ailroads and mines. The strikes W. re
desired by tie railroad OWLS because .,cv W. III!
encourage fair means -. {; nj the 60 ,crrr cnt
purchase of the roads nd the strikes ~. re de
sired by the nine IS because of an iatolelabc
condition which has b: ,asttned in co :. unirn
The railroads SO dccrepit that even Wall street
has discarded them in favor of the movies. as in
Vestment propositions. Coal mining has been so
separated from the public by a brokerage system
that only drastic REIMBURSEMENT can be of any use.
&, In both these instances, however the Admins
Tatloh is not blameess. The time for a Government
70 act is before the catastrophe to prevent it. The
administration had full knowledge and ample warn
ing OF what was to it knew the protest of the
railway workers uttered at the time Government
agency was busy slashing S6OOOOOOOO off the
workers annual income it knew the situation with
regard to coal yet not by one act of forethoueht or
one step toward prevention did it seek to forestal
what 1t clearly saw would occur, and what it must
nave known the enemies OF Labor dearly desired
TO occur. No amount OF tardy buster and fluster
will make up for that
In the railway matterthe wages of the men must
be put back. The strike is wrong, but the men are
right Railway management has made its last
confession OF absolute failure when il takes its
working capital out of the pay envelopes of the
men. The salvation of the railroads does not lie in
that direction. Reduction of wages and increase
OF rates is certain suicide Reduction of rates in
crease in the quality OF the service and higher wag
es are the guarantees OF railroad prosperity. Minds
OF the old order cannot see that but it is the truth
OF raroading.
And when the service is resumed, the Admins
tration will have no right to light cigar sit back
and congratulate itself SETTLING A STRIKE
Doesn't mean anything any more Too MANY strikes
Fave been settled without touching the sources OF
the strike. The annual chokngs of the nation
lie have been intended by certain concealed forces
as rehearsals for final choking which should in
augurate a national struggle for life Strikes grow
more numerous and threatening ever wear not be-
cause labor grows more threatening or less Ameri-
can, but because each succeeding strike has deep
er alien fringe around it and is signal for the &C
tivity OF Bolshevik and anarchist groups that are
not related to strike at all These latter come out
under cover OF the strike season and spread their