The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1922-02-03
IT Is AN UNEQUAL
STRUGGLE"

Under the caption, playing for An
other Strike the Oregon Journal of
November 20, 1921, has this to say:
"a new drive for lower wages is
planned by the railroad heads"
Something like dozen big eastern
banks own the controlling interest in
most of the roads. The men who
operate those gigantic financial insti-
tutions have little knowlege, and less
concern about the great people out
in the United States.
"Their world is Manhattan Island
and legislation down at Washington
With them the railroad system of
America is not a thing for. service
to the people but sideshow to their
great financial institutions. They
were among the men to whom Theo-
dore Roosevelt referred in his many
ldenunciations of swollen fortunes
and crimes of cunning.
Great wealth is not a crime. 1t is
the matter of how some great fortunes
were obtained and how they are used
! that is sometimes crime. When
owners Of these fortunes reach out
beyond their own field and seize coun-
try's transportation system and oper-
ate it for their own profit instead of
for the service of the country's enter
prises and people, it is wrong. Yet
that is exactly what has been done
with the transportation System of
America
| ut is true that there are thousands
of private stockholders. 1t is true that
shares of railroad stock are widely
distributed But is is true that the
owners and great directing force and
| the benefciaries Of the American rail
transportation area handful of big
eastern financial hoQ Qses, consisting
principally of the great Morgan and
Rockefeller groups.
"rhe struggle that recently took
place oyer the threatened strike OF
men was struggle between these gi-
gantic banking houses and the mer
who operate the trains. keep watch
full care over the lives of millions OF
1 passengers, Keep up the tracks, re-
pair the rolling stock and do the other
work in the transportation system
In truth and in fact, it was strug.
gle between dividend takers and the
men who do the worlds work.
"The workers are at an extreme dis
advantage. The great financial insti
tutions have the money with which
to buy propaganda and propagandists
We had in the late struggle the spec
tacle of editorials in American news
papers written almost bodily from
printed railroad propaganda. A lone
interview a few days ago by rail
road head announcing rate reduction:
on certain farm products was filled
with propaganda for reduction o
wages with which to catch, the publ,
and was widely carried by the news
papers, in many cases on first pages
1T is an unequal struggle Th
workers have no money with which
to meet this propaganda and have m
means by which to hire skilled prop
agandists. The public never got, 70
example, in the late struggle, real
ization of what the revision of rule
meant to the employees, yet that revi
sion cut as much, or more, from thei
earnings than did the actual reduction
of wages.
"Nor did the public, while giving S.
much Of its sympathy to the grea
institutions that manipulate the roads
remember that there is better busines
for all and more prosperity for al
when the eslion's share of railroad earn
ings goes not TO small group 0
fnanciers with men poorly paid, bu
: when reasonable share goes to mil
) lions of well-paid men,"
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