Evening star., 1922-07-19
Fate by Mail-Payable In Advance.
Maryland and virginia.
All Other States,
What the People Demand.

Resumption of operations at the
mines under military protection will
not settle the coal supply problem.
Return to work of the railroad shop
men under a patched-up truce will
not give the necessary assurance OF
uninterrupted transportation. The
American people are entitled to, ana
have made up their minds to have,
adequate guarantees that there will
not be recurrence in the future OF the
situation which exists today. They de-
mand that not again shall any men or
set of men have it in their power TO
strangle the nation by cutting OF
from it those supplies without which
life cannot be sustained.
And the people look to the govern
ment to provide these guarantees
which they demand. They expect the
federal government to take the lead,
and that state governments will lend
whatever support the federal govern
ment may require. They believe the
Constitution is broad enough and elas-
tic enough to enable the federal gov
ernment to act effectively. If it is not.
they will amend the Constitution. and
will do it without a day of unneces-
sary delay. The people are thoroughly
aroused, more aroused than they ever
have been before on this vital question
and in no mood for shilly-shallying or
halfway measures.
Tr off oct
which the people demand there are
two things which the government
could and should do. The first is to
put teeth in the labor sections OF the
transportation act. The Railroad La
Dor Board functions admirably UP to
the point of giving force to it's de-
cisions. There it breaks down. Heavy
fines should be provided for refusal
10 abide by decisions Of the board.
whether by the carriers or their en-
ployes, and these fines should consti-
tute a lien against the assets of the
railroads and the treasures Of the
labor unions.
The second thing is to provide for
regulation of the coal mining industry
through an agency which would COM
bine functions similar to those Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
the Railroad Labor Board. 1t would
determine prices and profits and
wages, supervise extensions and con-
troll capitalization. Penalties, in the
way of fines, would be provided for
Rv,Ii
Both Of these are drastic proposals,
but the last few weeks have demon
strated that the nation is desperately
i'll in an industrial way. and the peo-
pie have become convinced that there
can never be any permanent industrial
health until drastic remedies have
been applied. The remedies here pro-
posed are less drastic and far less un-
desirable than would be government
ownership and operation of the mines
and railroads. and unless some way is
found to assure that fuel and trans
portation will not be denied the peo-
pie, government ownership and opera
tion are inevitable.
courage in high degree to formulate
these measures and write them into
law. Powerful elements of organized
labor will be arrayed against them,
and they will not be unopposed by the
owners OF the mines and railroads.
But neither organized labor nor mine
and railroad owners represent the
sentiments Of the great body Of Amer
ican people. And statesmen who are
timid may derive comfort from the
knowledge that the people as a whole
always have and always will uphold
and follow courage as against COW
ardice.
The principle which would be back
Of these measures is so fundamentally
sound that no arguments against it
ever could be sustained. 1t is that
when capital and labor elect to en-
gage in industries the continued oper-
alton of which is essential to the life
Of the people they surrender the right
to discontinue such operation because
Of differences which may arise be.
tween them. And in compensation for
this surrendered right it becomes the
duty OF the people, through their gov
ernment, to protect both the capital
and the labor engaged in such indus
tries against injustice.
That is all there is to it. simply re-
ciprocal obligation and responsibility
between the public and the capital and
labor which must serve 1t. In the
mine strike and the rail strike neither
capital nor labor has needed its obliga-
tons to the public. On the other hand,
the public has not fully discharged its
responsibility to the capital and labor
involved. 1t will not have fully dis
charged it's responsibility until it
makes adjustments in the transporta-
tion industry effective and provides for
effective adjustments in the mining In
dustry. Until that is done the public
must carry q share Of the blame fer
the troubles it is having. The public
now is ready and willing to assume
the full burden Of its responsibilities.
1t looks to the government to provide
the necessary machinery.
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