New-York tribune., 1919-10-27
Shea Says Men
Will Fight for
Right to Strike
Congress Warned Firemen
Will Not Obey Measure
That Prohibits Walkouts:
Cut in Wages Predicted

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-Timothy
Shea gave notice to Congress tonight
that the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Firemen and Enginemen. Of which he
is acting president, would not observe
pending anti-strike legislation if en-
acted into law.
Such an attempt to single out rail-
road employees and deprive them of
what he termed the economic right of
workers to strike to prevent injustice
must be accepted, he said, in connec-
tion with other information which the
railroad brotherhoods have, as a fore
gone conclusion that the railroads con-
template a general reduction in wages
when the government surrenders con-
troll, and desire such q measure to
forestall a strike
Calls Law Un-American
"If these interests or the legis-
lators believe railroad employees will
INCREASINGLY submit to any such in
vasion of their rights as citizens" Mr..
Shea continued, "they had better expel
that thought from their minds, be-
cause I believe I speak for locomotive
firemen and hostlers at least when l
say that any law which deprives them
of the rights of American citizenship
would not be observed, not because
this class of American citizens are law
breakers, but because such law would
be unwarranted, un-American and con-
trary to American institutions"
Mr.. Shea said such law was almost
certain to precipitate revolution, and
was, in fact, just what extreme radi
Gals and revolutionary agitators desire.
This would give them logical argu-
with the intention of displacing the
liberal and more conservative leaders,
and thereby overthrowing the existing
social, political and industrial institu-
tions of the country.
"If an anti-strike law is enacted the
responsibility for any upheaval which
might follow lies with Congress"
Mr.. Shea's statement, more than $500
words in length, was prompted by pub
lication Of his recent testimony before
the Railroad Wage Board, in which he
pared to fight for living wage and
time and half overtime as conditions
precedent to the return of the roads to
private control. He said his remarks
would be extended, to use favorite
Congressional term" so that the pub
lie might understand the position of
the railroad men.
Railroad men are waiting the out
come of the governments campaign
against high prices, said Mr.. Shea,
adding that if the cost of living is not
vance in wages to enable them to main
tain their standard of living. He de-
clared tiremen were running in debt
from SIS to $50 month because their
wage increases have not kept pace with
mounting pricese
Eight-Hour Day Called Farce
Time and half for overtime work
was declared to be necessary to give
the men a real eight-hour day, which
he declared they never have enjoyed
despite the passage Of the Adamson
law. Without punitive overtime. he
said, the railroads would continue to
work the men as long as ever before.
Locomotive tiremen cannot physi
cally endure the hours they have been
required to work." he continued, "and
which they have temporarily acquiesced
in because of the war emergency. They
have decided that after nearly four
years of patient waiting on their part
this issue cannot longer be postponed"
Mr.. Shea declared the patience and
patriotism of railway transportation
employees in recent years have been
extraordinary, and now when they ask
the correction of intolerable conditions
they are called "Bolshevists, considered
disloyal to the government, and anti
strike legislation proposed to take from
them their means of red.ess.''
The way to stop strikes. he declared,
was to give the workingmen their fun
damental economic rights and proper
machinery for adjusting current local
grievances.