Evening star., 1934-05-08

An example to the country in the
settlement of labor disputes is founo
by the press in the agreement be-
tween the railroads and their en-
ployes for increased wages. The en-
ployes are to have a gradual restora-
ticn of the amount represented by a
10 per cent cut in pay, the complete
restoration to be made within a
period of eleven months. There is
speculation as to the future course
in such controversies and the pcSsi-
bility of avoiding the services OF
official arbitrators.
The spirit of give and take is
Salutary," says the Philadelphia Eve
ming Bulleton. 1T is pretty obvious
that business is likely to reach nor
NAL levels more quickly if all con-
cerned will pull together toward a
common objective than if those who
have a mutual stake in prosperity
waste time and money in disputation
over the distribution of supplies along
the line of the march" The value
of friendly negotiations Is attested
also by the Waterloo Qowa) Daily
Courier. the Scranton Times, the
Allentown CPa) Morning Call, the
Denver Rocky Mountain News, the
Miami Herald and the Baltimore Sun.
Observing that such settlements are
carried on with the aid of Govern
ment," the Danbury News-Times says
of the results: Had this great army
of railroad workers gone on strike,
instead of depending on patient nego-
tions. had they been out for as much
as five weeks, it would have taken an
entire year, had they won their de-
mand. to get back as much as they
would have lost by quitting work.
Their condition would have been
much worse. because it is not easy
to emerge from the debt and disaster
of weeks without income. And a
great strike demoralizes the industry
of the country, so that it is quite
time before as many workers ere re-
ouired. Credit will be given to the
heads of automobile workers and rail-
road workers and others who have
taken care of their people without
demanding costly stoppages."
Recognition is given by the San
Francisco Chronicle to the services OF
President Roosevelt in warning the
parties to the controversy that IF
agreement were not reached he would
appoint a commission to go into the
facts and tell them to the people"
Similar credit is given by the Hart
ford Times and others.
"The settlement" in the opinion of
the Akron Beacon-Journal, "disposes
of a disturbing factor that was
threatening to obstruct trade revival
at q time when it was beginning to
show good signs of progress" A SINH
lar thought is voiced by the Danville
CID Commercial-News, while the
triple benefit to railroads, workers
and public is pointed to by the Reno
Evening Gazette and the Oshkosh
Daily Northwestern. The Christian
Science Monitor notes that railroad
car loadings have been improving
steadily, and evidently the expecta-
ton is that business revival will con-
tinue to improve them"
1.-THE return Of the 10 per cent over
the period of year." says the Kansas
City Times, would seem to be in line
with the general trend toward wage
reservations and, therefore, with the
recovery program. But the rail wages
had been far above the prevailing
level before the reduction was made
and had remained substantially higher
than others even after. That situ-
alton is to be noted, aside from the
general wisdom and desirability Of