Milford chronicle., 1962-09-28
SKATING ON THIN ICE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1862
SKATING ON THIN ICE
The railroad operating unions are try
ing to turn back the clock
They are saying, in effect, that the op-
Grating conditions of 80 or 40 or SO years
ago must be considered the operating condi-
tions of today-despite the enormous tech
biological advancements made in railroad
ing in the modern era.
They are also saying, in effect, that all
railroad jobs must be maintained even when
the need for them has passed and the cost
imposed by obsolete work rules has been
major element in bringing much of this
vital industry to near-inSOlvency.
And they are further saying, in effect,
that the recommendations made by a dis
tinguished Presidential Commission which
studied the problem for more than year
should be disregarded. The Commission pro-
posed not only a modernization of the work
rules, but generous benefits of many kinds
for displaced and transferred workers. The
industry accepted the plan-the unions will
have nothing to do with it.
These seem the only conclusions that can
be drawn from current union actions. The
industry has scheduled sound and reason
able work-rule modernization-so the un-
ions answer with the threat of nation
wide strike which would do immeasurable
damage to the economy to the national Sc
curity, to the public interest, and to labor
itself.
Meanwhile, some things can be said with
certainty One is that no group, no matter
how powerful, can blatantly ignore the ma
tional interest and get away with it indefi-
nitely. Another is that a depressed indus
try cannot long be a source of highly-pald
necessary Jobs, much less those that prog
ress has made useless. A third is that. rail
roads must continue to serve this country.
And fourth, if worst comes to worst, the
government would be forced to take them
over. No one in his right mind could want
that.
CUBA NO NEW ISSUE
Not for the first time is Cuba an issue
in our politics. In the 1905, Spanish mis-
government in Cuba outraged Americans
and eventually caused the Spanish War. At
ter the war we wisely did not try to keep
Cuba, but let it govern itself, though the
Platt Amendment to the act of. independ-
ence gave us the right to intervene when
bad government threatened liberty. We oc-
casionally exercised this right, but have not
done so for many years.
AS far back as the 185Os, pro-slavery
men wanted to annex Cuba to increase the
number of slave states. In 1854 our minis
ters to England, France and Spain Jointly
published the so-called Osten Manifesto.
This said that we should offer to buy the
island from Spain, and that if she declined
the offer we should take it by force. This
amazing diplomatic document shows how far
the passion for annexation had gone.
Had we then conquered Cuba, it might
have offered a retreat for the beaten Con-
federate armies 1t would have been an in
viting place to set up a Southern govern
ment and prolong the end of the Confed-
eracy.
Invasion of Cuba would have done US
little good century ago. Today an inva-
sion might involve us in prolonged guer-
lila war, thus enabling the Russians to ad-
vance their cause more easily in the rest OF
the world.
A LESSON FROM HISTORY
Surprise!
Russia has learned a lesson from capi-
talist history The Soviet Union has decided
that trademarks, although a foundation OF
free enterprise, must be made part of the
Communist economy.
1t seems that the government discovered
its "no-name firms" were turning out poor
products, despite constant inspection. En-
tire industrial groups were producing shod-
DIV material Lack of identity resulted in
lack of incentive, and was clearly respon-
sibe for lack of quality.
So the government has given each state
owned firm a name, to distinguish one from
another. And it has required many firms
to identify their products with a trade
mark
Soviet economist, v. A. Nikiforov, ex-
plains the Russian switcheroo this way:
"The trademark makes it possible fol
the consumer to select the goods which he
likes This forces other firms to under
take measures to improve the quality OF
their own product in harmony with the de-
mands of the consumer. Thus the trade
mark promotes the drive for raising the
quality of production"
Darned if the statement doesn't have