Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-06
BUSINESS ENCOURAGING,
DESPITE LABOR TROUBLE.
Return of Prosperity Ham.
pcrcd by Rail and Mine
Strikes.
III: FREIGHT cAm mA>n,cAr
Hnnk GlrarinEs 20 Per Gent Grrntrr
i'"d steel Production Hns In
"rrnhcd sixteen Times Volume Of
August. 1921.
~, Walter u. brown.

written for the United N.wsi
NEW YORK. Aug 5.-Hu, for the
ADVENT OF The labor troubles The re-
urn t" prosperity would have been
= ihuch NOR" pronounced than IL has
"e"n, but In spite OF the strikes thcr"
mas been forward movement that
mas been highly encouraging. Eiimi-
mating coal from consideration, the
freight car loadings have been InrEor
lhan A. any time In the history Of the
'"untry, except for that period In
the fall OF 1920 when what NIGH;
ne termed the point OF sa,uration
was reached, Bank cl-arings are 20
per cent greater and steel produce
iion hhs increased 10 sixteen times the
volume nf the same month last year
Al of This however has been
threatened with serious check II
iH already being felt ia som. d!r.c-
lions. particularly with reference TO
steel. which has been placed IN the
hfh order OF priority n tho labor
troubles are not quickly disposed ot
" "!ii result in shut down 81 in
duhtry and in unemp!o yncnt that will
undo all tina, has been accomplished
Within the past nine months. And
al TO whit purpose That coal min.
"rS shall receive wages higher than
tn" hiRhest war wages and higher
- nan IN. industry can stand, not from
the standpoint 90 operators profits
which are problcmat!cal. but from
that Of the consumer, who canno; pay
more for fuel than he has been doing
and who. In fact. cannot pny as
much; tina, the railway hhopmen
shall he allowed TO retain their war
wages when all others arc falling, or
IN any event that they re treated
as II they had remained loyal 20 their
employers while those who actually
nd 80 are displaced
Imprriis Countr,'s Prnsprrit,.
These are questions That have a
wider import than mere disputes be-
tween employer and cmploye That
portion OF the tabor world which
u !ns!sting on these demands is i'm
rerIling the welfare Of ina; other
portion that ~ contcntcdly and pros
perously employed. Sympathetic
strikes have. In large measure. gone
cut OF fashion. and particularly
would the altruibtic spiri, OF labor.
y such exists, be put To tho test TO
accept involuntary une,nploy men,.
u has been a difficult time for all
involved In the labor disputes The
President has been inclined 10 com
promise an IN. question OF restor-
ing The ecniori,y Of The striking
shopmen az matter not Of sum :
,ient Importance To Involve such
serious consequences a. a railway
strike is bound 10 involve. The rail-
say executives have looked at it
from another angle and have seen IN
- an issue involving consequences
Var more aerious than the mere Ques-
ZION OF seniority. Their argument
nns been that 81 the Railway Labor
BOARD was 10 be upheld. IL Il WINS to
amount 10 anything more than a
mere committee that could do no
more than make recommendations
now was tho time n demonstrate IL
The mcn'wcre given ample time To
, recover from their Observation-Disclosures
after which they could only be re-
ins,ated AZ new men, thus losing
'h"ir seniority privileged. The men
refused TO return. Their Jobs were
sccordingly declared vacant and new
men were employed. Th.su men
who did not go out were advanced TO
first position and all were guaranteed
/. Permanent employment, The execu-
tives refused TO 60 hack on their
rledgcd word To those men. They
+ insist that the men cannot he all
lowed 20 lay down and pick up
their Jobs az they choose.
. Executives Upheld.
important business organizations
Iof the country have upheld the exec
Htves in this stand and the Pr.si-
/ dent ~ charged with not adberlng
10 his original policy OF backing up
the Railroad Labor Board There arc
i many who now hold the view that
the President has undone all that
I she Labor Board has done Above
sail ii Is insisted that IL he strikes
care to be settled that they be get
Stlcd right Strikes that are not set
Rtled right with tho workings OF nat
ial laws or anything else Will shift
8hnrdens where th.t do not belong
awhich Will in turn fave TO be shifted
A"!scwhere. BusineeS cannot function
arrnperly with such affairs unsettled
sor with Improperly distributed bur-
dcns. Hence business has the right
tr' speak up and ask for national ad-
&justments that are based on common
* Justice to all concerned-cm
a No, q lNa