The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-08-26
SA0PIME' ! |. REFUSE /:
T0Qu|T STRIKE
THEY HAvEW0N
Jewell Defines Seniority and
Defends Labor Rights.
CONTINUED from page y

CONTINUED from page y
nent, must retain a position in his
chosen industry, because the older
he grows and the greater his family
responsibilities, the more nearly i'm
possible will it become for him to
make an adequate living elsewhere.
"The man skilled in making re-
pairs to locomotives. just as the en-
gineer skilled in driving locomotives,
has in a very real sense invested his
life In the transportation industry.
After ten or fifteen years service, 1t
is unlikely that he will be able to
make himself as useful or to make
his services as valuable, in any other
line of work.
Rewards for Service.
IF the transportation industry Is
to attract workers Of the caliber ne
cessary for it's efficient operation, it
must offer these workers encourage
ing rewards Of service. One OF the
most effective rewards of service is
an assurance of permanent employ
ment which will increase with length
of service.
Another valuable inducement Is
freedom from discharge in the exer-
else of arbitrary or tyrannical au-
thority. The railway employees have
organized to protect themselves, not
merely from the imposition of in
adequate wages and unfair working
conditions, but most of all to protect
their investment in the transporter
ton industry-to insure that. by the
exercise of arbitrary power, they
shall not be deprived of the invest
ments of their years of work.
Priority Interest.
1T is even more in the public in
terest that the labor investments in
industry shall be protected than that
the money investments shall be pro-
tected. Would it not seem absurd to
argue that every possible legal pro-
lection should be thrown around the
five per cent of railroading that is
coal and steel and that the ninety
five per cent that is human should
be given no protection whatsoever?
would it not seem absurd to
argue that the minority money in
vestment should rule the industry
and be protected from loss by every
power of the law; and that the. ma
Jor1ty labor investment, not only
should have no voice in the control,
but also. should be subject to de-
struction at the will of the minority
interest?
us it not clear, since the railway
executives exercise their authority
subordinate to the requirements of
the public interest, that If they at
tempt, in the exercise OF their linn
tied authority to destroy those labor
investments, which it is in the pub
lie interest to protect, they should
be held to act just as lawlessly as
though they had attempted to de-
stroy the money investments COM
mitted to their protection?
No Basis for Denial.
1.-The refusal of the labor investor
to continue to make additional in
vestments under non-acceptable
conditions, provides no basis for de-
nying to him rights which have ac-
crued from his previous investments.
If the first mortgage bondhold-
ers of a railroad refused to advance
more money on q second mortgage
bond issue, the executives Of the
railroad would have no authority
to give to. the second mortgage
bondholders a prior lien, in order
to punish the first mortgage bond
holders for refusing to invest more
money, or, in other words, for carry
ing on, a capital strike.
If the officers of a railroad should
| promise, in order to make the Sec
| ond mortgage investment attractive,
| that they would give the second
mortgage bondholders priority over
the first mortgage bondholders, the
| courts would hold such a promise
of the executives to be void.
| Seniority a Prior Lien.
| I'm like manner. if in fairness and
Justice to the public interest as we'll
as in justice to the workers, the SEN
Tor employees in the transportation
industry should be held to have a