The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-07-27

ent strike is not strike against the
railroad company, but against the
government and the people of the
United States.
A very large percentage of the
men who are going on strike on this
occasion, are people Of foreign birth
who took advantage of this condi-
ton growing out of the war so that
while our men were leaving to- go
overseas to fight the battles in those
old countries where these people
came from and to save civilization
which the old countries were wreck
ing. Many jobs were made vacant
by enlistment and the heavy traffic
on the railroads made it necessary
for railroad companies to find men
and put them to work almost disre-
garding their fitness for. the posi-
lions. In this emergency lasting
two or three years large numbers of
foreigners got into the railroad jobs
and promptly organized and tied up
the railroad companies in labor con-
tracts binding them to what they
call seniority rules making 1t impos-
sible for the railroad companies to
discharge men without the consent
of the union and even the ex-service
men on returning from the battle
fields Of Europe, expecting to take
up their old jobs, could not get in be-
cause they were barred by these new
rules and even tho they. are much
more efficient and capable than the
men now holding the jobs, the
foreigners hold forth and our own
men, trained by years Of service, are
seeking jobs elsewhere. Under this
strike condition the railroad COM
pany has not been able to reinstate
them and now that the men have
gone on strike and refused to work
and are refusing to let anyone else
work II they can prevent 1t, the
railroad company is hunting up its
ex-service men and new men who
have clean records to go on the job.
Under this emergency the young
men from the farms and ranches
who have been accustimed to hard
work and to relying on their own re-
sources in emergencies are being
given very good positions by the
railroad company, where they will
be trained for the railroad work, al
lowed to take advantage of the I'M
usual opportunities afforded by the
present scarcity of men and pushed
to the front in their respective de-
partments.
During the war the union made
strides in their work of what is
known as sabbotism-that is, handl-
ing their work to get as little done
as possible, making the railroad
company operate shorter trains so as
to give employment to more crews.
They have made rules fori-irandling
every kind of work in way to have
as many helpers as possible. While
one man is working the helper is
standing idle or while the helper is
working the chief is standing idle
In all these ways this foreign ele-
ment led by the organizers who
build and plan the work of the
union, have made transportation
more expensive and the American
people are footing the bill. Millions
of tons of farm produce cannot be
moved because the freight rate is so
high that, it is prohibitive and these
things explain why the rate cannot
be reduced until we get the real
American men in charge of the work |
to straighten out the difficulties and |
introduce high efficiency.
There are a good many young
men graduating from our schools
who want employment, but who
have lived in the towns and have
never been accustimed to working
much, have never been thrown on
their own resources in their daily
tasks and are not very valuable men
for the railroad companies. They
do not regard them as hopeful pro-
spects. They prefer to get the men
who have been brought up on the
farms and ranches and in the occu-
pations where they have developed9
their pep and resources, for railroad
men must be men who can do things |
and do them quickly.
If Bingham county would aid in
making it possible to move its own
crops this year it should contribute |
some of its best men to the railroad |
service and help keep equipment re-
paired that is to carry the crops.
A man working for the railroad
company these days has number Of
unusual advantages, they carry in
surance for, him so that if anything |
happens, his family is protected. By
the payment of Is cents month
into the hospital fund he is entitled
to the best hospital service the
country affords. In case of death
his salary goes on a year just as If
he were working; in case Of sickness
he draws half salary. Men desiring
to get positions should apply to. any
railway agent in the nearest town.