New-York tribune., 1918-06-03

to you at Philadelphia is one which
you should accept in the interest of
industrial peace. BY it you do not
recognize the union or deal with it.
You deal only with committees of your
employees. You take back your men
discharged for joining a union, which,
under our principles, an employer
should not prevent their doing. The
union would agree with the board not
to order or permit strike under any
circumstances, but to rely for a re-
dress of grievances solely on the lodg
ing of complaint by committees Of your
employees with our board and the
boards action thereon.
"Hou would be given the express
right under such compromise to dis
charge any employe who sought rem
edy for grievance in any other way,
and the board would sustain the dis
charge. Under such a compromise,
which would be consistent with our
principles. the board would have the
power TO secure you against the danger
Of strike as completely as practical
machinery can provide against it, Thus
would be removed the danger of resort
to strike and consequent public in
jury upon which you base your obli-
cation to exclude union men from your
employ.
"1 ask you to consider again this
proposal before final rejection Of
course, your submission to our juris-
diction is matter of discretion, but
| deprecate an attitude on the part of
an employer Of men so widely distrib-
uted which may defeat the usefulness
of our board"
Rejected by Executive Board
"Mr. Carlton" the report proceeds
to say, "advised Mr.. Taft that he would
submit the matter to this executive
board on Tuesday last. Upon that
afternoon Mr.. Carlton notified Mr.. Taft
that he would not accept the compro-
mise.
"1n view of the correspondence, con-
cludes Mr.. Taft, ait does not seem use
fui TO further prolong the mediation.
set forth in Mr.. Taft's telegram to Mr..
Carlton leads to the conclusion that the
Western Union Telegraph Company
should accept this compromise, as
therein stated. 1t declines, however. to
do so or to submit to the jurisdiction
of this board, and no further action
Of the board is, therefore, recon-
mcnded, except the publication of this
report of the section and the vote Of
this board upon the report"
On the presentation of the findings
of Messrs. Taft and Walsh to the full
board, Thomas Savage, a labor mem
that the entire matter be referred to
the President. On this Messrs. Taft
and Walsh voted with the employer
members Of the board.
Edwin Michael, representative of
the employers, sought to defer any
action until an investigation had been
made into the question of employment
contracts between the Western Union
and its employees, and that the pro-
posal of the Western Union to form an
independent union of its own employees
pledged not to strike be further con-
sidered.
This, the labor members maintained.
would mean that the entire policy Of
the War Labor Board would be rc
versed, and that it would recognize the
right of employers to discharge men
for Joining unions. Such action. thew
maintained, would destroy the cfici
ency of the board as a peacemaker.
In this they were sustained by Messrs.
Taft and Walsh.
First Refusal to Recognize Board
The representative of the board who
gave out its findings said that this ia
the first instance in which an en-
ployer has refused to recognize the
jurisdiction Of the board or agree to
abide by its findings.
S. J. Konenkamp, international pres
ident of the Telegraphers' Union. Sc
cured copy of the report at the same
time representative of the Western
Union company received one for Pres
! ident Carlton. He at once declared
that the action of the company meant
strike.
"The report of the board" said he.
"again compels the union to take the
initiative and declare strike against
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany in order to enforce the decree OF
the board. The mediators have not
reported on grievances against the
Postal.
"The Commercial Tclegraphers'
Union had agreed to abide by the rules
laid down by the National War Labor
Board if the telegraph companies would
do the same. We felt this was dutv
to the government. The fiat defiance
Of the principles laid down in the proc.
lamation Of President Wilson bv the
companies and the findings Of the
board leaves US no alternative other
than to strike for the principles 50
clearly enunciated in the proclama at;on