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Show A CRITICAL SITUATION SITUA-TION WASHINGTON. Match 2C "Once more the nation Is confronted by a crfllcnl transportntion situation a ' situation that deninntls the thought-' ful ntcnlon of all tho people," admonishes ad-monishes tho Republican Publicity association, through Its president, Hon. Jonathan Hourno Jr. "Directly there Is a controversy between railroad rail-road companies and their employees over (ho question of wages. Indirectly Indi-rectly tho Issue affects, all the people of the country, for the seller or buyer buy-er of goods nnd every traveler Is affected by the costs of railroad op- J oration. The patrons of the railroads pay the wages. j "As every one knows there was nn Increase In railroad wages In 1916 by governmental ordcr'after the railroad rail-road brotherhoods had threatened to strike If their demands were not met by a certain day and our. In response lo the urgent recommendations of President Wilson, the Adamson act was passed by a Democratic congress and Mr. Wilson signed it, using four different pens which were presented to tho heads of the four brotherhoods brother-hoods as mementoes of their victory over the government. Later, undor government operation of the roads, wages were increased from time to time, and, the 'scale of compensation tcmained at the government figure, when the roads" wefe turned back to pi I) ate JiinnilKemc.ut. Tftcre' have beCn ndjustnic'ntsvjn wage scales In most large employing concerns , but none in railroad employment, for the reason that ,the law provides for - certain conferences, appenls, .hearings and fotmil decisions by a board. The railroads propose a roduction of'-sal-aries and wages, fiom (op to bottom with equitable adjustments which make allowance, for differences tn rates of Incroaso under governmental orders. In support of their proposal the railroad managers cite the fact that thee have been adjustments In other lines of employmeht and that a large proportion of the railroad mileage of tho country is now operating oper-ating at a loss. -, , "If this were a qucstlbn "between the railroad owners and railtoad cm-plojecs. cm-plojecs. alone, tho' public could nf-ford nf-ford to sit quiescent and await the outcome. Hut tho public Is the party to the controversy most vitally affect-' cd and terefore, most extensively In-, tecrsted.. iNeedless. to -remark, to public Is nnl alwdys as been willing to pay a faff ari'd CqUtible wage and-. and-. ' , .i 'j.j.m " ., , $;:Jave. th.ei entplyeesworH under proper coh'dltlbns'. tfut, onvthootq- er hand tnc.publlc fs entitled to have .ft - -?-.-a i'wv - ... i wages pnd working coijttiB, adjusted ad-justed If '''Dl'liarmonif'wlltn urae-dnucohtlcJjs.'-Jtj'.qther; Hhes o! Mi- dusirj'iand t;nK'f pflscu Jethpr.Jt'o , compensations bf callVoVd' cnStto-i?cs, If continued pnajwar.Ume ljas,tsaro' out of proportion to wages In .Industries .Indus-tries that .have sono through a,read-jusCmenr, a,read-jusCmenr, 'is a qu'cstlon-to'vb'o sllseuss tid rind tr he Iscusyn public i opinion' opin-ion' will bo n 'large If 'hot !i cont'rol-, ling factor.. ,-.. . . 1 ''The'rallvvfty wage Increases bpgan with anJarbltrarj",Ml8o' granted.! in; pursuance of aa act, of congress! nnd not through so called collective .bargaining. .bar-gaining. Tho chosen representatives of tho public authorized tho arbitrary increase without the consent' of the employers. Tho, employees can hnrd-ly hnrd-ly justify themselves, thereforo, in complaining at an arbitrary decrease in corresponding degree without their consent. j "Tho situation presented Is a critical crit-ical one one that will not wait in-r in-r - - I definitely for remedies. Many of tho f 4 ; railroads are well on tho way to re-, ' v I celverqhlps 1 pot bankruptcy. Tho suggestion of. tbcleaders of the four i- "- r brotherhoods that anY-change in the wago e-cl;8 0-15 -onXe ;o.nl' after? oxA ti5nded hearings meaning lqhju'e lay Is one that will not find much support outsldo of tho offices of the brotherhoods. The public Is entitled to continuous transportation service at a scale of compensatln on a par with that realized by other enterprises enterpris-es and, whatever the procedure, t:r public will expect reasonably rapid action." "- i |