Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-07
The ENGINEERS Annea1

HE government and the country should
not ignore or treat lightly the plea OF
the brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Tor an Immediate assembling of a new indus
trial commission which shall undertake TO
fix standard for the conduct of American
business in the future. That plea proceeds
from body Of genuine Americans. 1t pro-
ceeds from the most conservative and vel
the most progressive labor union In the
country.
In the statement just issued the engineers
throw the weight Of their influence into The
scale on the side Of industrial order and
sanity as opposed to the strike mania which
Is now sweeping the country. They ask for
Inc formulation of industrial policy
IN which reason and Justice" shall supplant
passion and the autocratic and militant
attitude now being displayed"
Throughout the country the Statement NJ
'hese citizens must be recognized as pro
gram rejecting more nearly the views of the
conservative leadership of labor and abneal
ing more directly to the more American ele-
heht or organized labor than perhaps any
pronouncement OF recent months It comes
from union which has always prided itself
on policy in which it placed Just one thin
-Amercanism-ahead OF its unionism And
IN that direction 1t has pledged its suonor,
TO the government sin every just and reason
able effort toward stabilizing industrial CON
dtions"
me engineers "deplore the action of the
federai government in it's present attemnt
al government by Injunction" basing this
attitude on the belief that the procedure
VIII not tend to improve the situation and
VIII only serve to delay settlement That
WAS the only reference directly to the pre-
waning coal strike, and in opposing the in
junction proceeding, these men are in com
panv win many hundreds of thousands OF
their fellow citizens, who are doubtful of
Doth the expediency and the effectiveness OF
restraining order In the case OF the coal
miners.
Reterating their support of collective bar-
gaming as principle, the engineers pro-
| pose as remedy for present turbulent ron
oltlons the taking OF immediate stems IN
assemble at Washington an industrial com
mission which Will recognize the rights OF
! all citizens, and one that Is not pledged ,o
! oppose collective bargaining as this is a time
| for deliberate action on the part of all con.
! cerhed lot peaceful solution Of the present
| conditions"
| In urging that the new conference No
| called without delay and that il be directed
| TO deal with the issues now acute witbou,
any preconceptions against either organized
iabor or organized capital, the engineers ar.
| giving voice to a demand that is growing
| throughout the country The times arc
| alarming. The country is in the throea oi
| TABOR strife and some power must BIS eyer
cised TO bring order and good feeling out oil
The chaotic situation which exists
1t might be fatal to delay the summon
ing OF such conference The men who car
deal with the question arc available and
certainly the question is acute enough u
demand Immediate attention. The admins
tra'Ion should take with the utmost gerions
ness the advice which has been given a. b,
inc brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers