The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-10-30
WILL NOT SUBMIT" SAYS SHEA.
Describes Proposed Law as Invasion
of RightS'as American
Citizens.

| u.
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 in
justice, must be accepted, he said, in
connection with other information
whichcthe railroad brotherhoods have
as foregone conclusion that the
railroads contemplate a general re-
duction in> wages when the govern
ment .surrenders control and desire
such a measure to forestall strike.
"If these interests or the legisla-
tors believe railroad employees will un-
resistingly submit to any such invas-
ion of their rights as citizens" Mr..
Shea continued. "they had better ex-
pei that thought from their minds,
because l speak for locomotive fire
men and hostlers, at least, when
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 a
law would be unwarranted, unAmer-
ican and contrary to American insti-
tutionS.'
Revolution Almost Certain.
! Mr.. Shea said such law was al
most certain to precipitate revolution
and was, in fact, just what extreme
radicals and revolutionary agitators
desire.
This would give them logical argu-
ment for direct action" he asserted,
with the intention of displaying the
liberal and more conservative leaders
and thereby overthrowing the exist
ing social political and industrial in
stitutiohs of the country.
eff an anti-strike law is enacted,
the responsibility for any upheaval
which might follow lies with Con-
gress."
Mr.. Shea's statement, more than
$500 words in Sength, was prompted
by the publication of his recent testi-
mony before the railroad wage board,
in which he said the railroad employ
es were prepared to fight for liv-
ing wage and time and half for ov-
ertime as conditions precedent to the
return of the roads to private con-
! troll.
He said his remarks should be "eX
tended, to use favorite congression-
al term" so that the public might
understand the position of the rail-
road 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 reduced, then they expect suffi-
cient advance in wages to enable them
to maintain their standard Of living.
He declared firemen were running
in debt from SIS to SO month be-
cause their wage increases have not
kept pace with mounting prices.
No Real Eight Hour Day.
Time and half for overtime work
was declared to be necessary to give
the men real eight hour day, which
he declared. they have never enjoyed
despite the passage of the Adamson
law. Without punitive overtimeS he
said, the railroads would continue to
work the men as long as ever before.
Locomotive firemen cannot physi-
cally endure the hours they have been
required to work." he continued, land
which they have temporarily acqui-
esced in because of the war emergen-
cy. They have decided that after
nearly four years of patientSwaiting
on their part this issue cannot be
longer 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 con-
ditions they are called 'Bolshevists,
considered disloyal to the govern
ment and anti strike legislation pro-
posed to take from them their means,
of redress.
| The way to stop strikes, he declar-
ed, was to give the working men their
fundamental economic rights and
proper machinery for adjusting cur
rent local grievances.