Evening star., 1945-11-19
Letters to The Star
Recent Transit Strike Prompts
Charse of Selfishness


To the Editor Of The star:
To say that the public made the best
Of the recent transportation tie-up
caused by the general operators strike
is not to imply that they are by any
means in sympathy with the methods
employed. When q certain class OF
wage-earners suddenly decides to de-
prive the population Of a city like
Washington Of such an essential utility
as transportation. thus causing great
Inconvenience and positive hardship, be-
cause they feel that they are not re-
ceiving enough money for their labor,
it is something which the Government
should have the power and the will to
stop Immediately.
There are many workers who would
like more money, who are barely
making ends meet" Many OF them
are in the Government service. 1t will
be found that the average wage of
the transit employees compares very
favorablly with that Of Government
employees. The average for the trans
1t employees, as stated in your paper,
Is now $3,442 year, q SO per cent in
crease over the rate of 194l. The aver
age for Government employees, at the
last estimate, was somewhat under
$4,000 year. Only recently has 15.9
per cent increase been conceded,
Granting that the claims of the
transit men are justified, the mob
rule tactics used In their meeting, ac-
cording to the testimony of witnesses,
are not only not justified. but are self
ish. unreasonable and undemocratic.
This mob psychology which has been in
evidence recently throughout the coun-
try. assumes the right to impose It's
selfish will to the extent Of tying up
tial to the recovery of the Nation from
wars dislocation, and of endangering
not only the prosperity, but the very
existence Of the Nation. 1t takes no
intelligence to follow a mob leader; it
does take intelligence to think out a
settlement Of problem that is just to
all concerned, in temperate and rea-
sonable way.
There are thousands of men coming
back from war service who had to give
up lucrative positions and who have
been exposed to every imaginable dis
comfort and hardship for number of
years in far-awsy countries. They
must have little patience with the un-
patriotic action Of these men who, by
comparison, have lived a life of COM
fort during the war.
II Is strange condition when thou
unemployment and at the same time
multiple strikes are crippling and halt
ing production and activities essential
to reconversion and recovery, while
producers are stating that they have
thousands Of jobs open in highly i'm
portant industries, such as the New
England textile works, for which they
can find no workers.
An analysis of the whole situation
would seem to point to mental condi-
ton of ingratitude, a state of mental
poverty which believes that the only
thing that can satisfy is more money.
And more brings the further demand
for still more. 1t would seem that
little heed is given to the application of
really Christian methods Of settling
our problems and meeting our human
needs. We continually have to trip
each other up in the process If it is
right that these transportation men
should have higher wages, the riding
public would want them to have higher
wages. However, the riding public, at
least the majority of them, are by no
means in sympathy with the high
handed methods employed. The public
believes that contracts should be hon.
ored. .
VERA E. ADAMS.