The Connecticut labor press., 1919-12-27
STRIKE MYTH IS USED TO PASS
 CUMMINS BILL
False Alarm of Railroad Walkout Coined to Array Senators
 Against Labor.
BAD EFFECT IS FEARED
Stories Bitterly Resented By Union Officials Who Fear Situa-
 tion Might Breed Trouble.
By Staf Correspondent.

wide strike Of railroad employees, e1the
 of transportation or shopmen, is i
 sight or even under consideration.
 The sensational stories sent broad cast last week were to infame mem ,. bers of the United States Senate againS
 labor so as to influence the passage O
 the Cummins bill with its anti-strik clauses.
 No more subtle publicity has beer used in securing legislation than tha which forced the Cummlns bill through the Senate.
 In order to hoodwink labor and tht public the word hand been sent fortt that the vnancia1 interests were againS the Cummins bill because it provided for a government board to run the rail- roads, which would be divided into dis tricts.
 This 'subterfuge was to throw bott labor and the public off the track anc permit the sliding through of the bill without so much opposition.
 Tt was cleverly done is the com ment going about Washington.
 But the stories of a nationwide strike are being bitterly resented by the labor officials, who fear that it might cause trouble that otherwise would have been avoided.
 All the unions of the railway em- ploves' department and the brother hoods have requests for increased wages before the director general. The Man- tenance of Way and Railroad Clerks unions are preparing to submit requests for increases. The teelgraphers have just concluded presenting their de mands. The argument used is that the President requested the shopnen and brotherhoods to withdraw their requests for higher wages as the cost of living would be reduced. This has not been done the union officials asy. In fact, the shopmen have put the situation souarely up to Director General Hines with the request that he give an answer as soon as possible whether he intends to grant the advances asked.
 Should the director general refuse to grant any increases in wages then the shopmen and brotherhoods will hold conference to consider making con- certed demand for better wages and conditions. In that case the question of a nationwide strike would be con- -sidered, But at the present time no one is thinking, much less talking, of gen eral strike Bert NJ. Jewell, acting president of the railway employees de- part1nent, is said to have voiced the opinion of all other union officials when he Sa1d tOday:
 "'rhe railroad employees have been looking for industrial peace. They love it as do all other citizens. The best the request of the President that no strike be called. So far as strikes are concerned no one is even thinking about one at the present time"
 Attornev-Genera1 Palmer's testimony before the Senate committee 1nvest1gat- ing the strike of coal miners and the insidious propaganda to secure the pas sage of the Cummins bill are said to not only encourage strikes of miners but to induce railroad employees to commit sabotage.
 The attorney-genera1 said the miners had lost This was not the impression given out after the conference held III his home, during which the strike was settled. In fact it is known, and the agreement bears it out, that the miners did win. But when this statement pene- trates into the coal fields there is likely to be a falling off in production. For the miners returned to work because they had been told they had won vic tory and this information was under stood to have come from government sources. If production of coal falls off it will be because of the statement of the attorney-genera1, it is said.
 The other piece of propaganda was a statement published widely that the employees would become ineffic-- tent in order to force the adoption of the Plumb plan. This is considered a suggestion to the railroad employees to Hay down" on their work after the roads are returned to private hands. Such a suggestion is apt to be followed, union officials in Washington fear.
 It is therefore considered dangerous for those who do not understand labor to be given the job of saying what labor does or does not want. The union officials declare this is a time for good 1 judgment, not to SOW seeds of trouble