The Cairo bulletin., 1914-09-18
COTTON BELT R. R.
CONDUCTOR NOT
Be REINSTAT[D
Circuit Judge Knsley Issues Tem-
porary Injunction Against
Union Officials
/ ULTIMATUM DELIVERED
WEDNESDAY TO RAILROAD
Fedora! Beard at Railroad Com
pany's Request Agrees TO Take
Up D srute

Junction by Circuit Judge Kinsey t
restrain officers of the unions repre-
senting employees Of the St. Loui;
Southwestern Railway lines from
calling a strike. and a statemen
given out by President +. II, Bit.
ton of the railway company that tn
company had asked the Federal
Board of Meditation to assist in set
Ting the dispute between the COM
pany and the men. are the latest de-
velopnents in the Cotton Belt sit
uation.
President Britton stated that a
committee representing the order o.
Railway Trainmcn and the Brother
hood of Locomotive Fi-cmcn and
Engincmcn, had called on him and
delivered the ultimatum OF the men
that unless a conductor, who had
been di N ssed, was reinstated, .
general strike Of the brotberhoods
involved would be called
A letter signed by w. C. Turner,
vicc-pFesident of the Order of Rail
way Conductors; John Ramon. rep
resenting the Brotherhood of Rail-
way Trainmen, and +. A. Ball, rep
resenting the brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen,
was received later by President
Britton.
Federal Board to Aid
The letter was acknowledged b.
the company late In the afternoon
and the unions were advised tn
company could not rcinstate the
conductor. In this reply the com
pany explained that the Offices of the
Federal Board of Mediation had
been invoked in a telegram sent To
Washington and that reply had
been received stating that the board
had agreed to take UP the matter.
In the meantime the hands Of the
officials of the employees have beer
tied by temporary injunction
granted in the Circuit Court on ap-
plication OF l.. r. Armstrong, ID. .
Cannon, C. E. Mockbee, A. J. Me
Knight and w. w. Alexander, mem
bers of the Order of Railway Con
ductors Of America. who do not de-
sire to strike.
The officials of the unionS who
were named defendants we~e or
dcrcd to show cause in Division No,
6 at 10 a m. next : tuesday why
they should not bs permanently ro-
strained from caA1ing strike.
The petitigh states that hearin7
on the charges against the condnc,
tor was, first had by the General
Committee of Adjustment OF thc
euhductors and officials of the Cot,
ton Belt. and that after the hearine
the general officers OF the Cotton
Belt stated they were satisfied as t,
the truth OF the charges.
Federal Board IN Hearing
Being unable TO obtain the rein.
statement of the conductor, the pc
titIon states, the Federal Board
consisting of the chairman OF thc
General Committees of the unions
then took up the matter with the
company and, according to the pc
tition, declared the discharge of the
conductor was justified
When a strike vote was taken
the petition states, the necessary
two-thirds majority failed as far a.
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers was concerned.
The petition further alleges that
after the refusal to reiustate the
conductor, the Federal Board pre-,
tended to obtain a strike vote, and
that it was represented that thu
conductor was prosecuted, and that
all the members of the unions had
voted for a strike.
II is alleged that the plaintiffs
believing these statements to be
true, voted in favor of strike
They said it was represented t.
them further that. even if strike
vote was obtained, no strike would
be called.
Could Not Change Vote. They Say
The plaintiffs also allege that the
necessary two-thirds vote of the
employees has not been obtained
The petition states that the plain
tiffs and other Cotton Belt en-
ployes living in Missouri. Arkansas,
Louisiana and Texas notified the de-
PENDANTS they desired to change
their votes and were told they
would have to do so in person and
not by mail or teleg "aph
It is alleged that those who came
10 st Louis were not permitted TO
change their vpteE and that the