Evening star., 1926-12-14
Rail Wage Decision Regarded
AS Omen of Peaceful Future

found to include much illuminating
information as to general changes In
purchasing power since the fevered
period Immediately following the war"
The bright side OF the award" in
the opinion of the Providence Bulletin,
lis in the fact that 1t was a compro-
mise. The trainmen asked for an In.
crease of about 10 per cent They re-
ceived less than one-half of what they
demanded, SO the bill to be met by
the public will be only $4,000, 900 in.
stead of more than S35, 900 900. But
1t Is commonly expected that wage
demands will be cut at least in half
In the final settlement, 80 presumably
the trainmen obtained all they really
hoped for"
The Chicago Daily News points out
that mot infrequently arbitration and
conciliation result in splitting the diff
ference instead of in scientific or
judicial determination of the issues
involved. but 1t suggests that "still,
arbitration and conciliation are pref.
cradle to friction, ill-will and suspen.
sion Of operations" I
"If the wages of all railroad en-
ployes were to be advanced 71h per
cent above the 1926 scale, the addi.
ton to annual operating expenses for
all roads would be close to 5000. 0.000,-
000," says the Wall Street Journal.
which believes. however, that "no
such uniform increase IS likely to
take place at once" although "the !
wage increase movement of the last
so days will be greatly stimulated by
the arbitration boards generosity
Notwithstanding this. the Journal
asks: What alternative to submits.
sion Of the dispute to this form Of
arbitration had the carriers? They.
might have forced the matter before
an emergency board appointed by the
President. But what else would suchi
a board have done than COMPROMISED i
''The peaceful manner in which thesi
negotiations were conducted" is viewed
by the Harrisburg Telegraph as "a.ll
triumph for the Federal railroad arbi-i
tration law" while the PHILADELPHIA
Evening Bulletin makes the comment: s.
The trainmen should be satisfied with \
the award. which has been won by1iI
peaceful and fair means. The railroad
managers should be satisfied and feellil
that they can well afford to pay theIll
increases decreed. The railroads have,'
been coming back into their own, and \
although they have not yet got so
much that there Is any reason for the
public to begrudge them their pros
perity. this award will not be a serious 4
detraction from their net earnings. 4
And 1t will be a paying investment in
peace and In confirmation OF the
peaceful method Of adjusting the inil
dustrtal disputes OF the railroad
world" lii'
THE public has reason for satisfac- II
tion," declares the Santa Barbara /
News. 'in the apparent discovery OF i
a system which permanently removes 4
the menace Of railroad strikes. The
principle of collective bargaining
seems to have been established on {,
sound basis" The Waterbury Repub-
lican states that "the outcome will
probably prove satisfactory to both
the brotherhoods and the railroad OPP
orators"
The Boston Transcript sees "a test
Of the consistency and capacity for
Industrial self.government Of the 70
spective parties who Joined for the
first time on record IN the framing
and advocacy Of the present plan.s