The Washington times., 1922-08-29
Money and Trade
Coal and Rail Strikes.
Governments Course.
What II Must Do.
Wages and Living Costs
BY GEORGE w. HINMAN.

by UEOhuE w. HlNMAN.
CHICAGO. Aug. 29.-The Govern
ment in Washington views the coal
and railrosd strikes with the gravest
apprehension. almost with panic.
In Washington there Is none Of
the calm or confidence which one
finds in Wall Street and Lasalle
Street. The question Of Government
control, Government operation. Is
discussed constantly.
President Harding wavers between
his prejudice against Government in
reference and his fear Of an indus
trial crisis in case he does not inter-
fere.
II strike follows strike. transpor-
tation is threatened with paralysis,
business is in danger, and the welfa-s
of the whole people menaced, the
President is likely to take over the
crippled lines. What thenf
49, The Same Problems.
The Government finally would
face the same problems as the pri-
vate owners. Neither for the Gov
ernment nor anybody else will inen
work except under conditions that
suit them. To force them to do so
would mean in fact Involuntary
servitude." ...'....
Workingmen will never be con.
scripted, as in France, to force them
to work or be shot as traitors. 1t Is
unthinkable. Men will never be com
PEELED in the United States to obey
thA edicts Of a Government arbitra-
ton court. If there We're such a
court, the men would do as they do
In Australia, obey the court when
they pleased, defy 1t and strike when
they so desired.
Let no one imagine that in the
railroad business or any other busi-
ness the United States can set up as
an Oriental despot.
What does this mean? Simply
that a worker will be no better con-
tented with 23 cents an hour from
the United States than from the c.,
B. & o. That truth, fully applied,
tells the story.
A labor leader in Michigan tells
the story in other words. The gov
ernor said the State would take over
the coal mines II the coal strike
wasn't settled. The labor leader re-
piled: "All right, but the State will
have to settle the same things with
us as the coal operators" OF course.
Government Then Helpless.
Would the Government then be
helpless? And ought not the Gov
ernment under any conditions to
take over any of the railroads? No.
body said so. The Government
would have prestige, power and re-
sources in settling these problems
that no private owners have, II only
the Government realizes that II not
only possesses them. but has got to
use them.
The Government could not cure
the situation by taking over the
lines. 1t would have to cure the
situation by solving problems of
hours, wages and working conditions
that caused the trouble.
The Government would have to
satisfy the men with living wages,
and yet not pay them for work they
fail to do. The Government could
not improve anything IL II hired their
men to do two mems work. For in
stance, Mr.. McAdoo is supposed to
have added nearly 100000 to the
payroll without any good business
reason. Under even looser condi-
tions the Berlin government has in
creased the railway payroll 350.000
workers. although Germany's whole
railway system is only one-sixth the
size Of ours.
Shippers Factor.
At the same time the Government
would have to do even.han led justice
between the shippers, who want
lower freight rates, and, therefore,
lower wages, on the one side, and
the railroad workers, who naturally
want all they can get, on the other.
Prof. Friday figures that'th average
man in farm work this year will get
$3.50 for his labor; the average rail-
way employe, twice that amount.
Between the railway men and the
farmers. therefore. the Government
would have to balance the scales as
carefully as any railroad executive.
1t can be done-all this can be
done. The Government can do 1t,
but in doing 1t Mr.. Harding and his
associates must be ready with their
plan to meet and solve the very diff
ficulties that the private railroad
owners have as yet failed to solve.
That is a necessity-an absolute
necessity-if business America is to
be relieved Of the present menace
and assured by its present rulers of
prosperous future.