Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-06-23
Consolidation of Railroads ONLY Solution to TRANSFORMATION
!, President Declares

|
not a provision denying men the
right to strike. 1t was merely re-
Qutrement that :. before the men
should so strike or the employer should
submit their differences to a properly
constituted and impartial tribunal,
empowered to consider the facts, de-
termine the merits, and make an
award.
Would Prevent Lockouts.
1t was believed that in the vast ma
5ority of cases this procedure would
prevent lockouts and strikes, and, in
view Of the enormous loss to the car
rfers, to their employees and to the
public resulting from strikes, 1 pro-
foundly regret that it should not have
been possible to give the plan fair
| trial When I say a fair trial, / mean
q trial under conditions fully and
frankly acceptable to all interests. /
do not believe that in such a situation
fair trial Is possible unless both sides
have absolute confidence in the fair
ness OF the tribunal and are sincerely
| willing to accept It's verdict. If human
wisdom shall ever be capable of setting
up such tribunal as that, and of in
spring both sides of the controversy
with complete confidence in it, we will
have Travelled long way toward in
| dustrtal peace.
Personally. have confidence that
! the thing Is possible. / believe so
nrmly In the underlying common sense
or both organized industry and or
ganized labor, and in the fairness to-
ward both on the part of the great
| public on which both of them are final
ly dependent, that / believe at last it
VIII be possible to arrive at settle
ment OF industrial disputes in public
services by such a method Let me
say so plainly that there will be no
misunderstanding, that in most dis
putes which end in strikes or lock-
outs / do not believe the difference
| very often represents any underlying
question of human rights and human
| justice.
| u. s. Terms Accepted.
There was an interesting illustra ton
| In the strike last year Of the railway
shopmen. The government sought to
effect settlement that had for its
firm foundation the pledged acceptance
by both managers and employees of
,, the decisions of the Railway Labor
BOARD. To such a settlement the
spokesman of managers and employees
gave their pledge, but the managers
rejected the agreement on the ground
that 1T did not do justice to the new
employees who were taken on after the
strike began Much was made of the
issue, but in the end all settlements
were effected on precisely the terms
the government proposed. Yet the
agreement to abide by the Labor Board
decl sion was lost in the days of anxiety
ana the separate settlements which
were effected
1t Is unacceptable that the govern
ment feels the Importance of public
interest and right in connection with
tne settlement Of such questions. The
vital existence of the nation now de-
Ponds upon continuity of transporta-
tloh In recent years it has come to
De accepted that there are three par
ties, rather than two, to every con-
troversy between the employer and
enpioyg or public service corpora
tlon The employer is one the en-
pioye is another and the great public,
which must have the right to con-
sumo and to be served, Is the third
IL we are quite frank among our
selves we will have to admit that in
dealing with such controversies the
third party in interest has, down 70
this time, decidedly received the least
consideration. Yet the public 10 the
party on which finally must be placed
the burden OF whatever adjustment IL
effected.
Cooperation Not Forthcominr.
AS means of making possible
righteous adjustment between rail-
roads and their employees, with due
regard for the interest of the public
Whlch pays, the government estab-
lished railroad labor board. 1t was
lhal lilS organization, re-
CURED to represent in equal numbers
the employers, the employees and the
public, would command the confidence
of all sides and that it's determine
tons would be accepted Unfortun-
ately, for reasons which are the sub
lJest of no little controversy, the board
mas never had the corporation of en-
ployer and employe for which its
authors hoped. For myself / am not
convinced that the test has been a
complete or entirely fair one, and I
favor. not its abandonment, but its
continuance under such notifications
as seem most likely to make the plan
successful But there is little to hope
for until all concerned are ready to
comply promptly with the boards de-
cisions. l am frank to say 1 do not
hope for compliance on the part of