The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-07-27
There are two sides to this strike

There are two sides to this strike
questionable interests of the labor
ing men and the interests of the en-
ployers-then there is another side of
the whole question and that is the
rights of the whole people. The
strikers are interfering with public
business and are also placing the peo-
pie in great danger of coal famine
at time when the summer will soon
be over and the demand for fuel is
great and with no stocks Of coal min
ed. 1t is now time that some action
was taken of definite character by
the government that will insure to
the public generally square deal and
continuation of business without these
strikes menacing the country all the
time-in other words, it is time that
the government at Washington took
hand and brought these strikes to
close. There is no reason why the
public should be victimized by men
striking every time they take a no.
ton and there is no reason why the
men should be dealt unjustly with by
the employer. There certainly must
be some way of settling the contro-
versy equitably. The great cry of the
men is that the companies they work
for are not doing the square thing by
them. The railroads for instance are
demanding every once in while that
the men take stiff reduction in
wages claiming that they cannot al
low reduction in rates unless they do.
But do the railroads live up to their
claims. Not to any very appreciate
extent. The men some time ago took
a big cut in wages but the railroads
have only given the public the bene-
fit of cut of ten per cent along
some lines, not all along the line. Now
it is proposed to cut them again but
no promise is made to the public.
There is one thing sure and that is
that the men are entitled to square
deal and fair and living wage. In
some instances we have been told that
it is proposed to cut the wages of
certain classes of labor down to as low
as 19c and 23c per hour. No man
living under present conditions can
support himself let alone a family on
that wage and it is criminally unrea-
There must be a fair adj
justment of this question to all con-
cerned. The United States is facing
a grave crisis at this tine-a fight
between capital and labor and the is
sue should be fought to a finish right
now. The public has been the goat
long enough and fair and reasonable
of the wage scale all along
the line is what the country must
have. Then the men in return must
give adequate service for what they
are paid and the railroads must in
turn give the public reduction in
freight and passenger tariffs. We do
not hear of any Of these big corpora
ton officials who are getting enor-
nous salaries taking any cut in SAL
airy. There should be looping off in
those quarters at the same time that
the men are cut. Let the whole mat
ter be adjusted reasonably and fairly
giving justice to both labor and cap
ital but do not put the whole burden
of wage cut on the shoulders of the
men alone - but commence at the
higher ups and come down the line.
When the wage question has been
squarely settled let the railroads and
the mine owners play square with the
public and come down on their tar
ifs and prices. When these matters
can be adjusted fairly then there is
chance that the country can settle
down to peaceful production and not
before
No ACTION