The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-22
Railroad Labor Troubles
Director General Hines Issues
Statement in Reference To
Strike by Clerks

IVA AAAN ny OAN1hO
Washington. March fl regret to
learn that efforts are being made to
prevail on various railroad employees
in the Southeast to quit the service
OF the government and thereby
! hamper the operation of the rail-
roads because of dispute which has
arisen between certain clerks and
| their superior officers / call atten-
| ton Of the employees to the fact
that adequate machinery has been
/ provided by the United States gov
ernment through the railroad admin
istration TO deal with all cases of dis
putes ans. grievances and that en-
ployees ought to submit their griev-
ances in accordance with this ma
chinery and not otherwise. The
trouble arose through certain local
organizations of clerks on the n. G..
& ST. Louis demanding the imme-
oiate discharge Of the Federal Audi
tor of that railroad. These clerks did
not resort to Board of Adjustment
No. which has been created in
Washington and which consists Of
four representatives Of the employees
and four representatives OF the man
agement and which has been created
to deal with all such grievances.
They refused to resort to this ma
chinery Notwithstanding the fact that
the brotherhood of Railroad Clerks
Of which they are members agreed to
submit all grievances to that board
and has Il representative on that
board 1t is indispensable that these
problems shall be handled in an or
DERBY way. It is Of the highest i'm
portance to the employees themselves
that this orderly procedure shall be
adopted in all cases and that they
shall exercise the patience and self
restraint necessary to permit OF the
carrying out Of these orderly prac-
tees. II this is not done the effort
which the United States Railroad
Administrations has made to recog-
niZe and promote the just interests
OF labor will be rendered unSrcccss-
ful and the employers who arc re-
SDOllStpIc ICI illlcI ici LIS VIII t3'1'' W
derly process will pat themselves In
a position before the public which
will react injuriously upon the er-
ployees and their future interests.
Every employee who is asked to dis
regard this method OF adjustment and
who is asked to try TO hamper the
government il, conducting the rail-
;,, ,.of,tnSff.S tn ,rnnSlHar
from the standpoint Of his own pest
interest the following points: be-
lieve that any employee who WIZ
think over this matter Will agree that
during the last ten months more pro-
gross has been made toward inproT-
ing the wages and working conditions
Of railroad employees as a whole than
was ever made before. This has been
practicable because the railroads
have been under a unified
management which has had as
one. of its leading purposes the
recognition of the just interests
Of the employees and the provision of
reasonable wages and conditions for
them. The great improvements could
not have been accomplished except
through the establishment Of uni
fed management directed by CEN
trail administered ION. Necessarily con-
clusions must be reached in cases of
dispute by the machinery thus pro-
yided. While in specific cases there
may be some delay in dealing with
such matters the delay is far less than
would have been involved under form
er conditions. In fact in the past. Ia
taken from one to two years. have in
VOWED enormous costs to the labor
organizations and even then have ire
quent,y produced exceedingly small
benefits. Whatever delay is incident
70 the method Of the central admin
istration is relatively small compared
with the delays which would have
been experienced under other condl-
tons. No business can be success
fully conducted without the exercise
of proper authority and discipline.
This is true particularly Of the rail-
road business. Ample machinery has
been created by the central admins (
,ration TO correct instances OF abuse
OF authority or the exercise of dis
ciplinary measures in an unfair way
It is indispensable that these orderly
methods of settling these questions
shall be followed pending disposition 7
of these matters in the reasonable
ways which have been carefully work
ed out. There must be recognition
Of authority and L submission TO dis
ciplirte. Otherwise the railroad
business would become chaotic and
the public which III the last analysis
has TO pay the bill would resent the
resulting excessive cost and inetti-
cisnt service and the reaction would
be exceedingly untavorable to the
employees themselves.
| having an abiding faith in the IN
herent intelligence: and raasonahleness
OF the railroad employees. In mE
aarly life I came in contact 4 great