The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-06-30
THE GOVERNMENTS DUTY

Unless the railroads agree to ignore
the recent reduction in wages ordered
by the Railroad Labor Board, restore
the working rules which that board
has abrogated or modified, and dis
continue outside shop work by con-
tract, which the board has ordered the
railroads to stop, a strike of the AGO.
600 railway shopmen will be called for
Saturday, July /, is the ultimatum is
sued by B. M. Jewell, head of the
shipments union. Of course, Mr..
Jewell does not expect the railroads
to comply with this demand. They
could not do so, even if they were so
inclined, without entering into con-
spiracy, in effect, to overthrow the
present system of the settlement of
industrial disputes on the railroads by
means of a. governmental tribunal,
That, of course, the government could
not permit. The Railroad Labor
Board must have the support of the
government in the application of its
decisions or it must be abandoned,
and its abandonment would mean that,
as in the past, railroad disputes
would be matter for private settle
ment, involving private conflicts dis
astrous to the public interest, with
results dependent upon the applica-
ton of power by one side or the other
without regard to the achievement of
even-handed justice. The govern
ment, realizing that adequate trans
portation is essential to national pros
perity, has established law, designed
to promote railroad development and
efficient maintenance on the one hand,
and on the other to insure just and
reasonable wages and fair working
conditions for railroad workers, con-
ditioned upon unbroken continuity of
service.
The protection of the public interest
demands uninterrupted transporta-
ton. The public interest in this mat
ter is paramount, and the government,
having established the authority un-
der which it's power can be exercised
for the maintenance of this service,
must of necessity use that power. A
dispatch from Washington states
that president Harding is deter
mined to uphold the Railroad Labor
Board in whatever action it takes
against the workers or the roads,"
AS the head of the government, of
which the Railroad Labor Board is
responsible agency, he could do moth
ing less. The issue is not one between
the railroads and their employees, but
one between the Government of the
United States and all the elements of
the railroad industry involved. The
reduction in wages and the changes in
working rules were not made by the
railroad companies, but by the Rail-
road Labor Board, after full hearing
from both sides and a weighing of
facts. So, too, the decision and order
in regard to contract work was made
by the Board after full hearing and
consideration of the rights of both
parties. 1t is essential to the mainte-
nance of this system that both sides
accept and abide by the decisions of
this tribunal. The workers cannot ac-
cept the decisions which favor them
and reject those which do not, nor can
the railroad companies, The deci-
sions must prevail as to the railroads
as well as to the workers, if the law
is to be fairly administered and its
purposes achieved. Every decision of
a court is likely to be considered un-
just by the losing party, but mankind
has found no better way to approach
justice than by the hearing and
weighing of evidence in judicial
tribunal.
The railroad system of the country
is the supreme public utility. All
production, all exchange and all inter-
course are dependent upon its opera
ton. The government, having of ne
cessity taken upon itself the regula-
ton and supervision of this utility, has
assumed responsibility for its opera
ton that it cannot lay aside. But in
the establishment of the principle that
the railroads are entitled to a fair
compensation on the value of their
property investment, and in the crea-
ton Of a tribunal for the hearing and
decision Of industrial disputes, it has
assumed a responsibility for the appG-
cation of justice for both railroads
and workers, and, If need be, for the
enforcement of justice when ii has
been judicially defined. Therefore,
there rests upon the government in
y.