Evening star., 1922-10-26
Strengthen, Don't Abolish, t
Railway Wage Board.

The suggestion BY Secretary Of La
| Dor Davis that the Railway Wage
Board is a failure and that its func-
tiors should be transferred to the de-
partment over which he presides
meets with little favor throughout the
country Editors generally believe
that the results of the railway shop.
mems strike has demonstrated the
board should be clothed with addi-
tional powers and retained to serve
the interests of the public.
Human nature and industrialism
being what they are the Philadel-
phia Public Ledger is convinced that
cit is dangerous to throw away Such
safeguards as we have. Instead ot
abolishing the Labor Board 1t should
be examined and strensthened. SO II
may work better. 1t has not been an
utter failure. Secretary Davis must
remember that there is third party
the public--to be considered. 1t
was this third party that wanted the
rail board. that believes in aroftra-
ton and declines to abandon that ne.
lief In advocating abolition the
New York Times considers Mr.. Davis
"ifldiscreet." because the very fact
that the railroads are now making
individual agreements with their en-
ployes shows that necessity OF the
Labor Board being retained. ina S,nu n
as over all these agreements is
placed the attitude Of n r
La Dor Board as final, judge. Instead
of being abolished, 1t is exalted" The
board. The Philadelphia Bulletin .,lr-
! iher points out. 'is BODY function HG
with the power of government 10 IN.
tervene when parties to controversy
sra reckless Of the public interest BY
use OF this system Justice and equity
as between the railroads and their
employees can be served without men
acing the public interest by resort to
any degree in the initial test OF the
Railroad Labor Board, the obvious
virtue Of the plan calls for further
perfecting experimentation rather
than for abolition"
On the other hand. the Providence
Was intended originally as an expert
ment, and that now management
and discipline will be restored on
practically all roads. And conctlia-
ton service is always available In the
regular agencies of the Department
Of Labor. 1t was not the purpose to
make this railroad tribunal a perma-
nNnt institution. The necessity for it
having about terminated, Congress is
likely to accept Secretary Davis rec
Concentration and wind up its afsairs.' y
t is plain, however; according to the
Norfolk virsininnepilo. ne ne
uree fundamentally different rene-
dies" and it holds that, as at pres
Ant developed. neither remedy 10 over
promising What Mr.. Davis ignores
is the fact that by virtue Of the con-
troll over rates which the government
exercises through the Interstate Com
merce Commission, the government is
fatally in the railroad business, wheth-
er that participation is good or evil.
But rates have direct relationship
10 wages and wages have direct re-
nected and interdependent factors,
which devolve ON the government GER
tain responsibilities in regard to rail.
road strikes that it cannot ignore"
In addition the st. Louis Globe
Democrat argues that the shopmen's
strike proved the necessity OF the
board and that Its powers must be
Increased inasmlch As "the tribunal
Of the Labor Board is by far. the
best thing that has been devised for
the protection of the public. the pro-
lection OF railroad interests and the
protection OF railroad labor. Its
abolition should not be contemplated;
the law in the light Of the knowledge
gained by this. experience. There Is
nothing but monumental folly in the
Gu m sStion of Secretary Davis" In
this very connection it must also be
remembered that Conditions since
been unusual" says the Williamsporf
sun, and. in addition, "the board has
been without power. to enforce It's
decisions. The situation in the coal
Industry does not bear out the argu-
ment that the old system of settling
f,1A
system of fighting it out is still in
effect between miners ana operators
and the country will suffer for some
time from their latest finish fight"
II there -: T. better. peepoeal Coa.
[Eress should consider It. the Canton