The Kennewick courier-reporter and the White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1938-1939, 1938-11-17
Bruckart's Washington Digest
President Promises Legislation
To Relieve Railroad Situation
Thoroughgoing determination of Rail Problems
Essential to Finding Re as0nable Solution; Com
Petition Cuts Earnings; Public is Responsible
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Press Bldg, Washington DC.

I believe 1t can be said that most
readers Of newspapers digest" their
news rather slowly. It is not their
fault entirely that the full signif-
icance Of a news story escapes them
even though it may be spread un-
der black headlines on the front
page. Nor do I mean to say that all
readers are lax. It seems to me that
days or weeks or even months and
years may pass sometimes before
the intangible personality that we
call the public" has considered full
ly the significance Of reported ev-
ents.
Existence Of this condition, how
ever, is warrant for an attempt at
analysis of what has happened, what
is happening, and what is likely to
happen in the railroad industry.
Perhaps that statement should have
added to it the suggestion also that
there will be something affecting the
public, too, in connection with the
recent series Of incidents and events
directly concerning the rail indus
try. Indeed. prospective develop
ments portend even more.
There were, Of course, the many
dangers Of q finincial character
with which the railroads were be-
set. There followed the attempt of
railroad management to reduce ex-
penses by q program Of cutting the
wages Of the workers by Is per cent
and there came almost Immediately
thereafter the dread spectre of q
strike threat by the million or more
rail workers who are highly union
lied. After that, In the sequence of
events was President RooSevelt,s
utilization Of the law providing for
consideration Of the differences by
a fact finding commission for the
first time.
It is necessary only as q further
review to recall that the fact find
ing commission heard days Of testi-
mony and reported to the President
that wage cut was unjustified.
But the commission made no con-
structive suggestions. AS matter
of fact, It added nothing to the to-
tai of human knowledge, but it got
a lot Of publicity for its findings.
The problem was, thereupon. left
in Mr.. Roosevelt's lap. He called
in the representatives Of the rail
arrangements and the leaders of the
unions. The rail executives were
willing to call of the proposed wage
cut, II there were any way to be
found to keep the railroads from
going banlrupt-more than half of
the mileage being already in the
hands Of receivers. Union leaders
reiterated they did not want to strike
and they did want the railroads to
get on their feet, because it meant
jobs. j. J. Peley, spokesman for
the rail lines, asked then what the
government could or would do and
Mr.. Roosevelt promised legislation.
So there we are today. There will
be no strike. There viii be consid-
Grafton OF rail legislation in the next
session Of congress that will be de-
signed to help the railroads so they
will have at least as much income
as expense. And It will be sup
ported by Mr.. Rooeevelt,s admins
tration by the railroads and by the
railroad unions.
But am wondering whether the
country as whole is fully aware OF
what is behind the troubles that
formed the immediate basis of the
news developments recorded above.
And am wondering further wheth-
er the shock Of the strike threat
has awakened the country as a
whole to the need for q thorough
going re-examination Of the situa-
ton In which the railroads find
themselves! Because It is In the un-
DERIVING conditions that we are go
ing to find . solution. None can
deny that We need rail tTansporta-
ton; none can deny that they eth
er must operate without losses or
else they are going to be left in
the lap Of the government and what
terrible mess that would be for
government seldom runs anything
without making . mess Of It. The
rail problem, II relation to other
forms Of transportation, the pub
lie interest, national policy, al must
be threshed out very soon. It can
no longer be avoided without in
creasing the danger Of genuine ma
tional suffering.
When confederation Of the various
phases If the condition gets under
way. IL 1t Is done thoroughly, con-
gress must give attention to q re-
vision Of some Of its. long-establish-
ed policies. They are basic. When
I am talking about the plight Of the
railroads, I am, at the same time,
condemning to the very core some
Of the high-handed brtgandage,
thievery, corruption, that went on
among so-called captains Of indus
try a few generations a0n That