Evening star., 1955-07-15
Strike Reaction

strike ke0ctIon
The bus and streetcar
strike presents three horns of
controversy that are punctur-
ing the patience and good will
of the public. Each horn is
stained with guilt in its rela-
ton to the public's interest.
The ingenious method Of
management adopted by the
present controlling stock
owners of the transit conn.,
panv is so well known to the
public that recapitulation of
those policies is not necessary.
Between the transit COM
pany and its vehicle operators
is a human link-the Public
Utilities Commission - whose
docile department in the
presence of Mr.. Wolfson, and
their lack of vision for the
public's interest entities them
to be known as "the three
blind mice" They ertainly
are putty in the hands of
Wolfson. who easily moulds
their conduct to suit his con-
venience. Just a few fancy
figures called operation
losses" waved at this commits
sion, and their tears of SYM
pathy become a flood of priv
ileges, so that transit fares
take another rocket ride, par
TALLY to satisfy the cravings
of the vehicle operators.
It's a trite and true saying
that 1.-THE laborer is worthy
of his hire" but consider
the fact that these men are
engaged in unskilled employ
ment-picked UP and put in
a training vehicle for a couple
of days riding around town.
That fully qualities them for a
soft, sitting down job and they
are Immediately transformed
into creatures Of discomfort.
continually bowling for more
money and less service, with
plenty Of fringe" benefits for
their families and friends. So
strikes become the emblem Of
perpetual motion. Some day
the public's patience will ex-
plode.
Pedestrian.
~ 4
Public opinion, when ade-
quately informed and aroused.
becomes an almost irresistible
force. We are learning the
truth of this statement in the
field of international relation
ships, and can well apply it to
some of our domestic prob
lens.
Assuming that the demands
of Capital Transit employees
are fair and just. what would
have happened in the pres
ent strike If the union mem
bers had continued to work
under protest-and put their
case before the public, empha-
sizing the fact that common
transportation is a civic neces-
sity which the union will not
take responsibility for disrupt
ing?
Who suffers when a strike
such as this Is called? First
the strikers and their fam
ilies-then the general pub
lic-and last and very much
least, the corporation against
which the strike is called.
If the union had taken the
position above outlined, I'll
hazard the guess that public
opinion would have crystallized
promptly and would have
forced management Of the
transit company to make q
fair and equitable contract
with the union and also to
consider the public interest
which to date 1t refuses to do
In the interim the workers
would not have lost Their
wages, the public would moi
have been inconvenienced anc
business would not have suf.
fered.
This letter does not come
from a theorist, but from 9
man who has been o member
Of the AFL for IS years.
Retired.
1t seems to me that tn,
present transit strike has clear
ly demonstrated the followin,
valuable facts:
/. The great value of com
petent police directing heav.
traffic.
2. The tremendous amour
OF space archaic trolley track
take UP which could better b
used for parking automobile,
Therefore, / suggest that tn
District government hire ant
train more police so that thei
splendid personal service o
handling trafiic be made per
manent.
particularly submit to d. {
authorities the observation tina
doing away entirely with tn