Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-06-03
He Not Only Declines to Rec
ognize Organized Labor but
Refuses to Submit to War
Boards Jurisdiction,
EFFORTS TO COMPOSE
DIFFERENCES BARREN
Grievances Between Company
and Its Employees Remain
UnadjuStedi President Carl
ton Takes Firm Stand.

teT MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED vtnrI
New York, June 2.-The Western
Union Telegraph company has de.
cIined to submit to the jurisdiction of
the national war labor board which
sought to adjust the differences be-
tween the company and those of its
employees who are members of the
commercial Telegraphers' Union of
America.
The Western Unions decision be.
came known when the report of an
executive session of the war board,
held here yesterday, was made pub.
lie tonight It embodied a report bv
W. II. Taft and Frank p. Walsh,
Jolnt chairman of the board, who CON
ferred with Newcomb Carlton, presi-
dent of the Western Union, in an eff
Tort to compose the differences be-
tween the company and those of its
employees who had been dismissed, il
was charged, because they Joined the
Vommerc}al Telegraphers Union of
America.
Complaint against the company's
action was taken to the war board and
Mr.. Taft end Mr.. Walsh made an in
vestigation. They then submitted a
proposition in the nature of a com
promise based on the principles un-
derlying the work of the war board.
This platform recognizes the right of
men to organize and holds they
should not be discharged for member
ship in trades unions or for legitimate
trade union activities.
The Compromise Proposal.
This compromise proposal, under
which the Western Union was not re-
CURED to recognize the union and by
which the union was bound not to use
the strike as a weapon, was submitted
to Mr.. Carlton but he declined posi-.
lively to permit employees of his com
pany to join the union unless refer
endum of all the company's workers
showed that a majority of them fa-
yored such step.
Correspondence between Mr.. Taft
and Mr.. Carlton followed with the
result that the joint chairman ended
their report to the board yesterday
with this statement
I'm view of the correspondence, it
does not seem useful to further pro-
long the mediation. The construction
of our principles as set forth in Mr.
Taft's telegram to Mr.. Carlton leads to
the conclusion that the Western
Union Telegraph company should ac-
cept this compromise.
1T declines however, to do so, or
to submit to the jurisdiction of this
board and no further action of the
board is, therefore. recommended, ex-
cept the publication of this report of
the section, and the vote of this board |
upon the report"
Taft writes Carlton.
In his final letter to Mr.. Carlton, |
Mr.. Taft wrote: i
Il ask you to consider again this
proposal before final rejection. OF |
course, your submission. to our iuris- |
diction is matter of discretion, but |
deprecate an attitude on the part of |
an employer of men so widely dis
tributed which may defeat the use
fulness of our board"
THE Western Union is not seeking
to deprive any one of his inalienable |
rights" said Mr.. Carlton in a state
ment issued tonight. "but it recognizes I
that its employees must choose EN-
ployment with the company or mem