Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-25

With wage cuts mounting to the emf
nence of a national issue, more than
passing interest is taken at washington
in the outcome of a labor dispute on the
Louisiana g. Arkansas Railroad, a minor
company employing couple OF thou
sand men. Several weeks ago the road
made a 10 per cent reduction in wages.
The employees objected and strike was
threatened. Efforts Of the United States
Board Of Mediation having failed to set
tie the dispute, President Hoover, under
provisions of the railway labor act OF
1926, appointed an emergency board OF
inquiry. The latter has completed It's
findings and formulated its report, but
the President, firm believer IN arbitra-
ton, desires to exhaust every possibility
of an annie able settlement. To that end,
the managere of the railroad are coming
to Washington and make one more at
tempt to iron out the controversy. II
a peaceful adjudication proves imposSi-
BILE, the White House indicates that the
emergency boards report win be made
public. Only couple of hundred L..
& A. workers are involved, but the adj
ministration is so deeply committed to
the policy Of wage maintenance during
the depression that the squabble on the
little Southwestern railroad has a GER
tain symbolical importance.
* -
Gen. Saltzman, chairman Of the Fed
eral Radio Commission, and his fellow
arbiters of the air are awaiting with
lively interest the impending visit OF Sir
John Reith, director general of the
British Broadcasting Corporation, who
has Just arrived in this country. When
Sir John comes to Washington, the Cap
ital will make the acquaintance of one OF
the Sturdiest figures now adjoining Brit
ish public life. An immensely tall
Scotsman, alongside whom even Sec
rotary Ray Lyman Wilbur Will look
short, Reith Yields almost autocratic
power over British wireless" as they
still call radio over there. He is AZ
years old and spent two years in college
in this country, at Swarthmore. Pa.
Later he got a master of sciences degree
from Lafayette. Reith is an engin-er
by profession. Early in the war he was
seriously wounded while on active serv-
ice with the Royal Engineers in France,
and wears an honorably conspicuous
facial scar as the badge of his gallantry
under fire. Sir John is an ardent apostle
Of complete government regulation OF
radio. H. uncompromisingly opposes
the commercialization Of the art, though
he freely admits that Americas great
broadcasting chains have done "a fine
job"
Advocates Of American entry into the
World Court rejoice in the conversion
Of Senator David A. Reed, Republican
Of Pennsylvania to their cause. In
speech at Pittsburgh last week Reed
predicted that the United States would
join the court within a year and pro-
claimed his readiness to cooperate to
that end. He is a potent member of
the Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee. Reed thinks "a little further
Qualification OF the language Of one of
the reservations" may be necessary,
but declares that otherwise under the
Root formula, safeguarding American
rights, Uncle Sam can go to the Per-
manent Court without fear Of having
his clothes stolen while swimming In
paign to bring about Senate action on
the World Court protocol by February
/, 1882, will be launched during the
Summer by the American League Of
Nations Association.
\
Senator Bob" La Toilette didn't sue
coed in getting President Hoover to Swal-
low the Progressive special-session bait,
but the militant Wisconsin Republican
House on the subject. That IN itself is
feather in Young Bobs" cap, for
Presidents aren't accustomed to taking
notice of nobodies La Toilette con-
tinues to be the Peter Pan of National
politics. Though he's in the midst of
his seventh year in the Senate and was
SO years old last February. he remains
invincibly boyish in appearance In
growing and maturing. His speaking
ability, always flrst-class, steadily Inn
proves, and he is acquiring a daily
widening reputation for sound judg-
ment. The older heads on both sides
Of the Senate aisle have come to ac-
knowledge an abiding respect for La