The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-07-04
SOCIAL JUSTICE AS
AFFECTED BY STRIKES
New York Tribune)

The public, one of whose duly con-
tituted agencies after a full hearing,
has ordered 10 per cent cut in rail-
way wages to Offset to some degree a
preceding cut in railway rates, would
not be merely fair to railway employ
ees. 1t would be more than fair-even
generous. It values, and the reason,
the services of railway workers and
would be no parasite on them. 1t
would not coerce them into accepting
an adjudication not firmly based on
social justice.
What does social justice demand I?
Manifestly that in this case as in
others there shall be no privileged
class. Some work with their hands,
others work with their heads and
others work with their capital. Each
should receive proportionately to his
contribution. Perfection in division
is impossible-the efficient for human
itarian reasons, must carry some of
the proper load of the inefficient.
Moreover, proft-making is of such a
mature that seldom can profit be Sc.
cured without giving to the public a
large part of the gains accruing from
better machines and methods. But the
goal is to allow as nearly as may be
AN equitable division of society's pro-
duct total. Consider, in the light of
this principle, the argument made for
the shopmen by the minority of the
Labor. Board.
Not challenging the admitted fact
that railway wages in dollars are up
nearly 100 per cent since 1915, while
the cost of living is up less, the Labor
Boards minority was driven to put
forward what is called the living
wages principle. 1t assumed that the
railway employees, without regard to
the effects on others, had an inherent
right to specified minimum compen-
sation based on statictics which have
been derived from studying family
budgets. The figures, besides being
the result of only partial survey,
practically left out of consideration
the fact that many families had more
than one wage Garner, and that wage
earners, when employment is slack in
their industry. often follow other gain
full pursuits. Nevertheless, the sta
tistics were set up as a fnality-as
something to be accepted and almost
worshiped.
The majority of the Labor Board
in reply briefly considered where the
country would get off if the figure of
$4,000 year, the sum arrived at by
the computers, were established as the
minimum wage. 1t pointed out that
the country's total numbed of families
is 25,00O,000, whereas the aggregate
annual incomes of all our people, tax
ing the rich and poor, is approximate
ly $4O,000,000,0 But to give each
family head $4,000 would require $685.
000,000,000. Where would the extra
sum come from? No one gives hint.
No wonder the conclusion is drawn
hat something is wrong with the
statistics.
If railroad employees are guaran-
teed $4,000 each, whereas there is an
average of less than $1,700 produced,
who will pay the difference? The
greater part will come from the ST.
200 class-in higher prices for food,
for comutation tickets and the like,
the rich person does not pay much
more for freight than the poor and
travels by automobile rather than by
train. The railroad employee, be
cause of his skill, is entitled to an
extra reward, but scarcely a so per
cent one.