. The story of American democracy, political and industrial . portionof preventable accidents. In our coal mines alone, in 1908,three thousand men were killed and ten thousand family wreckage that goes with such loss of life by thebreadwinners is even more appalling. Unless this slaughteris checked by law, or by greater sense of responsibility inemployers, American industry threatens to become morewasteful of human life and social welfare than ancient warwas. Closely related to one of these forward steps is a gainmade recently under threat of strike. In March of 1916, the 656 THE P
. The story of American democracy, political and industrial . portionof preventable accidents. In our coal mines alone, in 1908,three thousand men were killed and ten thousand family wreckage that goes with such loss of life by thebreadwinners is even more appalling. Unless this slaughteris checked by law, or by greater sense of responsibility inemployers, American industry threatens to become morewasteful of human life and social welfare than ancient warwas. Closely related to one of these forward steps is a gainmade recently under threat of strike. In March of 1916, the 656 THE PEOPLE VS. PRIVILEGE four great railway brotherhoods (conductors, engineers,trainmen, and firemen) began an earnest agitation for aneight-hour day, with pay-and-a-half for over-time. ^ After various fruitless conferences withrailroad managers, the men voted (94 per cent ofthe 400,000 members of the brotherhoods) togive their heads authority to call a nation-wide strike ifthe managers persisted. The nation was alarmed. There The eight-hour rail-way lawof 1916. Harris and Ewing, Washington, D. C. Watching the Procession of the American Federation of Labor at itsmeeting in 1916. From left to right the figures are President Wilson, SamuelGompers, and Secretary Wilson of the Department of Labor. seemed no doubt that the brotherhoods could tie up thetransportation of the country completely; and that wouldmean ruin to business and starvation to the city managers offered to arbitrate: the men were willing The railroad managers insisted that this really meant not shorter hours butan increase of $10,000,000 a year in wages. The men declared they were aftershorter hours, and that they asked extra pay for overtime mainly to compel theroads to arrange eight-hour schedules. THE LABOR MOVEMENT 657 to arbitrate as to pay for overtime, but not as to theeight-hour day. President Wilson now called the headsand the railway managers into consultation; but manydays of conference brought no r
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