Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-03-23

~ -. Nl l. It kHfsaNfNt NNAhlttAtAtes
The railreaas 81 tie country Sc
cured valuable franchises from tho
federal Fgyefnhseat state govern
nlenis and loessl lpFernmeats. in ad.
eitior most & fie roads received
valuable snbsidiea gifts 81 f,gt 81
way, gifts of Nast aereages II land
en- c.l4A siae 81 sng railroad anu eNs
tending miles bask,
lne osnditisu easdef Naich they te-
oeived franchises ,hat they lpn
ish adequate l4aaspaItaNcn facilities
TO develop and 1, supply the country
through which they operate,
There are nu conditions in the fran
chises as 70 what eireums tanees shall
obtain in order sTaf they may furnish
adequate Transportation facilities.
The country, the sites, the towns, de-
pend for their dslily supply OF neees-
salies upon the full rendition Of the
services the rtsilloads haye contracted
to render N return ior the franchises
and The subsidies that went VIII the
franchises.
The cities "a Stise cast aud oi the
north are suffering because Of an IN
adequate coal supply. Ting mines %
the country are competent and will
ing to furnish D sufficient supply.
transportation lss broken down. fne
reason fot hAes .kse akdonp d tfans-
portaiun Is The lFCl tiidt 3 sasagfee
ment as 70 tne terms OF wages and
conditions of employment AROSE BE-
tween the managers & the railroads
and the men competent to keep the
railroads IN eii,eien. condition.
Without entering pto the merits of
the dispute between tae employers
and employees We can make one as
sarsion thai We consider H0isputabiei
i.e., that the railroads are bound b.
their franchises and by thelr accept.
anee of subsiales anu other emulu-
ments aud privileges TO furnish ade-
quate service 10 the eople ui the sec
nons they are supposed 60 supply ana
serve.
Ihe public on the government can
not and should not seek TO determine
what is a fair wage or what should
be considered acceptable conditions Of
employment OF what the railroads
might consider as the maximum wage
or conditions they are Willing 10
agree to.
The public Las right 10 demand
ana insist upon an adequate transpors
tation service. This, it is evident, the
railroads are net in position to give.
During the dispute between tue
railroad management and their em-
pioyes the government did see NJ 20
intervene. The President Of the
United States offered what he consla-
cred a fair solution OF the differences.
The railroad workers accepted the
President plan Of settlement Many
of the railroad managers accepted the
Presidents plan Of settlement 9th
ers, and among those some Of the
principal roads supplying the most
populous sections of our country, re-
fused. Then the President Of the
United States made the assertion thai
his proposed settlement was only a
"feeler" to see II it could bring about
resumption of adequate railroad
transportation.
As a matter Of fact, the represen-
tatiyes Of the railroad workers were
called upon 70 recede from most Of
their protests against reduction 81
wages and changes Of working con-
ditions which preeptated the strike
but they were assured BY agents oi
the President, if not by the President
himself, that If they would so reeede
pressure would be brought 20 bear up
on the railroad arrangements; that
these latter would be forced to accept
and compromise; and on that under
standing the representative Of the