New-York tribune., 1907-09-30
RAILWAY REFERENDUM
Campaign of the Amalgamated So
ciety for Recognition.
London, September N

Analgamated Society of Railway Servant,
through the prudent action Of the executive
committee. has adopted 1t. After nine month,
OF futile negotiation. Mr. Bell might have or
dered strike and called out $4,000 raiIyv.v
servants. interrupting passenger and freizht
traffic, embarrassing all the important fndus
tries and causing prolonged Inconvenience an,
discomfort Instead OF exercising this sIpre,.
power he has asked the members TO decide bv
ballot whether strike ought to be brought ON
for the purpose Of compelling the corporation,
10 recognize the trade union 1t WIFI be forty
days before the ballots can be distributed fles
out and counted, and during that period III,
railway managers can hold conferences and ar.
range a defensive campaign for mutual pro-
lection. The tactics bad IL a strike is serI.
ously contemplated but excellent If the organ
izers Of the movement are bent upon strength
ening the union with thousands of recruits ard
securing moral support from public opinion Tts
grievances of the railway operatives are low
es. long hours. inadequate pay for overtms
and inoonsiderate treatment during hoIIdays
The corporations have not been willing to dis
cuss these matters with trade union official,
because they were outsiders and not responsible
for the management OF the railways. Can they
be forced to recognize the representatives O.
the Amalgamated Society? Are the members
sufficiently in earnest to take the risks and facs
the sacrifices Of a general railway strike? Thos.
are the questions which nearly one hundred
thousand asked TO decide for them
selves by an overwhelming majority vote
Mr.. Bell and the trade union officials are
struggling to obtain a right which has been
conceded by cotton spinners. coIliery owners and
other large bodies OF employers. What is want
ed is official recognition Of the union. That viii
enable them to present the grievances and pro-
posaIs Of the men and 70 conduct negotiations
effected Mr.. Bell was railway servant for ten
years and so efficient that he was promoted to
be head guard on the Great Western. What he
now wishes to do is to knock at the door Of any
railway manager IN the kingdom and 70 dec1ars
that the 100000 men IN the Amalgamated So
ciety insist upon having two shlllings added to
their weekly wage and upon working fewer
hours. This he cannot do so long as the corpo-
rations follow Lord Penrhyn's example and
assert that they are responsible to the Board
of Trade and to the public. and must be allowed
TO manage their properties in their own way IS
there any reason why the railway servants
should not be as adequately represented by
their own agents in conferences with their en-
ployers as the cotton workers coal miners and
boilernakers are in their negotiations? The
managers think there is a valid reason-public
safety: but that is not convincing. The railway
corporations may be under statutory obIga-
tfons for the protection Of life and property. and
be systematically regulated by the Board Of
Trade: but they will be more likely TO render
traffic secure by comforting with the accredited
agents of their servants than by refusing TO
receive them and 20 examine the list OF griev-
ances Some Of the railway chsirmen affirm
that the acceptance Of the operatives demands
would cut down shareholders dividends from
31a TO IL per cent and impair the values Of rail-
way interests, which aggregate 1850 100000 for
the kingdom. That is an argument against ex-
trerne demands. but not against equitable treat
rnent of the men The railway managers also
assert that they under no obligation 70 be
coerced by a minority OF the force employed by
them. and here they have stronger ground.
There are about five hundred and seventy-hve
thousand men in the employ OF the railways. OF
whom 100000 are eligible for membership in
the AnaIGamated Society. Mr.. Bells official
muster is $4,000 or less than one-half That
plea is as logical as the referendum itself which
depends upon the Will OF the majority or the
arnaIgarnated trade union
II is probable that this last consideration may
defer the strike until the society obtains thirty
thousand recruits and is in position TO speak
authoritatively for a majority OF the railway
operatives. Mr.. Bell. being a veteran trade
unionist, may be striving TO make use OF the
railway managers and of the opportunity for
Certainly he has not acted either arrogantly or
capriciously. and he does not conceal his opin-
ion that an Isolated or premature strike Will be
ineffective and that the movement must have
behind It the cumulative force OF the main body
of railway servants. The issue. as he describes
it. is exceedingly simple. 1t IS the right OF the
signal men, shunters. guards and porters TO
have their grievances and demands explained 70
their employers by officials OF their own trade
union. The railway managers at once put their
own gloss upon IL and interpret Il as the right
of collective bargaining; and they contend that
IL cannot be granted so long as the majority OK
the force IS outside the trade union The TRUTH
which IS not blurted out on either side, Is that
official recognition would enable the trade
unionists to obtain majority IN short period
Even II they were TO refrain from pressing their
extreme demands and were 70 make TO attempt
TO interfere with the discipline OF the companies
or to secure the dismissal OF non-unionists. they
would have their trained representatives IN
the managers or directors rooms 70 state their
case and 10 discuss it subsequently IN Parha-
ment or at mass meetings. The non-unionists
would be at a disadvantage and would swarm
into the union. Official recognition Inevitably
doubles the membership OF trade union anu
its financial reserves. and arms the executV'
with largely increased resources loF
collective negotiation and bargaining
II is a question OF leverage Mr.. Bell wants
place in the directors room where he can stand
as the representative OF the workers. When ne
obtains that commanding position he will soon
have a lever long enough to accomplish greaI
results The railway directors know this and
with the exception of the North Eastern man
agers who have recognized the union. they ars
opposing him strenuously. They are fully aware
pv1s