Norwich bulletin., 1918-06-03
N. J. Declines Aid of War Labor Board TO ADJUST DIFFERENCES WITH
 ITS EMPLoYEs NO USE FOR UNION MEN
Newcomb Carlton, President of the w. U. T. Co., Declares Employees Must Choose Between Employment or Membership in c. T. U. A.

New York, June 2. = The Western Union Telegraph Co. has declined to submit to the Jurisdiction of the na- tional war labor board which sought to adjust the differences between the company and those of it's 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 public to- night It embodied a report by W. H. Taft and Frank P. Walsh, joint chair1nen of the board, who conferred with Newcomb Carlton, president of the Western Union in an effort to com pose the differences between the com pany and those of it's employees who had been dismissed, it was charged, because they joined the Commercial Telegraphers' Union of America. Complaint against the company s action was taken to the War Board and ATr Taft and Mr Walsh made an investigation. They then submitted a proposition in the nature of a com prom'se based on the principles under lying the work of the war board. This platform recognizes the right of men to organize and holds they should not ] be discharged for membership ir trsIles unions or for legitimate trade union activities.
 Compromise Proposed.
 This compromise proposal, under which the Western Union was not re quired to recognie the union and by which the union was bound not to use the strike as weapon, was submit
 ted to MT. Carlton but he declined | positively to permit employees of hi; ] company to join the union unless ; referendum of all the company $ workers showed that q majority o
 them favored such a step.
 Correspondence between Mir. Taf
 and MT. Carlton followed with the re
 suit that the joint chairmel endet their report to the board yesterday wit
 this statement:
 Tn view of the correspondence,
 does not seem useful to further pro
 long the mediation. The constructiol
 of our principles as set forth in MI
 Taft's telegram to MT. Carlton lead
 to the conclusion that the Wester
 Union should accept this compromis
 it declines, however, to
 so, or to submit to the jurisdiction c this board, and no further action C
 the board is, therefAS, recommended
 except the publication of this repor
 of the section. and the vote of thi
 board upon the report" In his fina
 letter to MT. Carlton. MT. Taft wrote Taft Asked For Reconsideration. 'T ask you to consider again thi
 proposal before final rejection. C course your submission to our iuris diction is a matter of moment. I de , recate an attitude on the part of a
 employer of men so widely distribute l which may defeat the usefulness of ou board"
 5 "The Western Union is not .seekin to deprive any one of his inaienabl l rights" sad Mir. Carlton in a state 3 that it's employees mst chose betwee \ employment with the company ( membership in the c. T. A. U. wit , employment in the many other telt : graph positions opeE to them, for u :. Western Union employees less than per cent. of the total telegraphers = the united States. The company sa! s in effect to it's employees:
 Will Discharge All Union Men. 'If you desire to join the C. T. '. A., then we must part. So long as yC 2 retain your position with the compar , you will have every protection and ! full right of appeal, but we cam
 agree that you shall join any organ zation which imperils the continu of the telegraph service which tn i, company is expected to provide for u |, government and public Of the Unite
 States"
 n Mr Taft and Mr Walsh, their r n port showed, recommended to M : Carlton that the Western Union r i, ceive a committee of it's own men onl I, who desired to present requests f
 better working cond tions or compel r sation, and if an agreement could n t be reached the ma tier should be refe . red to the war board and the questi' n disposed of according to it's rules. Tn
 stipulated that the company was ''n = to be required in any way to deal wi l. the union or to recognize it."
 Proposals of War Board. V They stipulated also that the uni ; should agree with the War Board tn
 in any effort by it's members to S : cure better cond tions of labor it VOL
 not itself initiate and that it wou not permit it's members to use t l ho4