The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-09-29

settlement demands attention not
merely as matter of community
pride, but as pointing permanent
moral for future guidance and instruc-
ton.
The honor and credit of this rail-
road peace distinctly belong to Mr.. S.
Davies Warfeld, president of the
Seaboard Air Line and spokesman for
stockholders organization repre-
senting billions of railroad securities.
He was the only man at the meeting
of the Association of Railroad Execu-
tives in New York on August % who
voted gaainst the resolution breaking
off negotiations with the striking
shopmen. He refused to adopt the
uncompromising attitude of his asso-
ciates, and he set to work at once to
renew the discussions which had been
pronounced closed. Possibly the fact
that he is not only a railroad presi-
dent but the representative of many
thousands of stockholders gave him
/
the situation than the ordinary rail-
road executive can take. Or possibly
his natural temperament is less die
Itatorial and his sympathies wider. At
all events. he was the only man who
thought it "unwise to close the door to
the settlement of the strike at a time
of great business and worldwide I'M
rest" and he renewed the interrupted
conversations" with Mr.. Jewell and
brought other influential railroad
presidents around to his point of view.
The power of personal leadership and
influence was never better illustrated,
and the manner in which this strike
has been terminated suggests that it
is the lack of leadership and sanity
which is nearly always responsible for
the prolongation of the bitterest in
dustrial quarrels.
How greatly this strike has handi-
capped or affected other business, in
what a vicious circle the railroad
arrangements have been working, is
indicated by the following extra from
Mr.. Warfeld's statement in yester-
days Sun:
"The i'll effects of this strike have
not been confined to the railroads.
Judge Gary made a 20 per cent in
crease in the wages of steel employees
to prevent them from accepting en-
lployment with the railroads which
were advertising for them. Having
occasion to confer with officials of a
number of car manufacturing compa-
MES now building cars for the rail-
roads, | found that a number of shops
were nearly closed down; in others
labor difficulties caused increases in
wages from 20 to 50 per cent. to hold
their men, many leaving to take en-
ployment in railroad shops. Column
upon column of newspaper advertise
ments by railroads for men told the
story. This could not continue with
out serious disruption of the indus
trial labor structure. A shortage of
equipment by a continuance of the
shopcrafts' strike has thus been aug
mented by the failure of car manu-
railroads have been taking their men,
|
circle"
To Mr.. Jewell and other labor lead
ers must be accorded credit for meet
ing Mr.. Warfeld halfway, and for
their frank. if belated, condemnation
of acts of violence on the part of a
lawless minority. We do not believe
and the general public does not be-
lieve, that the rank and file of the
railroad unions sympathize with such
Savage outbreaks as have occurred;
but there were far too many of them
to be termed Sporadic" and it is we'll
now that they should be officially re-
pudiated by the executive council of
the shopmen. For every such act of
violence union labor suffers in repu-
tation and public esteem, and self
interest, as well as humanity, de-
mands that the unions treat such law
breakers as enemies of organized la
Dor as we'll as of the country.
Mr.. Warfeld's craftsmanship" as
the shipments executive council calls
| it, did not consist in mere surrender.
Under the terms Of the agreement the
men will return to work cat present
rates of paw" which are those fixed
| by the railroad labor board and which
became effective on July l, the day
the men walked out This wage re-
duction was one Of the causes of the
strike, and its acceptance represents
a gain TO railroad revenue of approx
Imately s5O.000,00O a year. Seniority,
the issue that arose after the strike
! began, is not mentioned by name in
1.-THE memorandum. but the princip pie is
recognized Professionally by the stipu-
lations of the second and third ar
ticles of the peace settlement. Even
as to this the strikers have accepted
the condition that there is to be arbi-
tration of disputes arising as to the
relative standing of employees.
The most striking and interesting