CONFLICT AND RECONSTRUCTION 71 
Mr. Lauck: “I think it would imply that, but the railroads 
interpret that to mean ‘comparative’ with other industries, 
and bring forth the argument that the railroads should not 
have more highly paid clerks or employees. Of course, the 
answer to that is that this is a semi-public body of workers, 
and they must consider standards that in the restrictions of 
other industries would not be considered.” 
The Chairman: “My view of it is that here are two men, 
and one man may agree to work for the other at any wage 
that he would be willing to accept, whether it is just and 
reasonable or not, but when organized society comes to fixing 
the wage, it is no more right to fix a wage below the point 
of living and comfortable living than it is to fix a return on 
capital below a reasonable point.” 
Mr. Lauck: “That is our contention exactly, Mr. Chair- 
man.” 
The Chairman: “I think you are right about it.” 
Senator Cummins afterwards publicly declared that it 
was his intention to amend the Transportation Act of 1920 
by including the specific statement that the term “just and 
reasonable” wage implied the conception of a “living wage” 
for workers in the lowest-paid scale of occupation. His 
subsequent illness and death prevented the consummation 
rif this purpose. 
GENERAL PROTESTS AGAINST EXTREME DEFLATION 
Outside of the labor movement, there were also authori- 
‘ative students of industrial conditions as well as promi- 
nent leaders in industry who realized the unsoundness of 
a policy of extreme labor deflation. They believed that a 
general readjustment of wartime rates of pay and working 
conditions was inevitable. They also keenly realized that 
such a procedure should be attended with the utmost cau- 
tion and with due consideration of other facts involved, 
if post-war labor readjustments were to make for the 
.