Evening star., 1920-06-26
PROMISE Of EARLY
AWARD APPEASES
THEBR0THERH00DS
'Vacationists" Demand Sc
niority Rights Before
They Return.

before July 20 by the railway la"oi
board. Judge R. NJ. Barton. chairman
announced late yesterday. The award
would be retroactive to May ]. the
statement said. The statement DC
clared that an agreement on a method
of working out the wage problems
had been arrived at and that no Tune
would be lost in reaching a conciu-
sion.
Lee and other representatives CT
the organized railroad brotherhoods
who met here to discuss the rail
road wage situation said there was
no doubt the men would be satished
with the promise of decision TO re-
lieve their impatience.
was the decision the result OF
warning of a probable strike brought
board?" Lee was asked.
You can draw your own conclu-
sions as to that he answered.
Mr. Lee said that secret plans had
been made by disaffected union eie-
ment to spread the strike throughout
the country because of the continued
delay in announcing the wage ruling
The men would have quit at midnight
tonight. Mr.. Lee said. 1T was impos-
sible to hold them longer. Men of my
organization have been waiting pa
tiently for nearly a year"
In a later statement Mr.. Lee de-
clared that "even the most conserva-
tive members of these organizations
lately have been bitterly complaining
Of the delays and insist upon de-
cision.
Now that it has been definitely de-
cided that the award will be handed
down not later than July 90" the
statement continued. I'VE urge our
members to continue to carry out
their obligations to their organiza-
O nd he alDf h
the employers as the most effective
means of helping the situation"
Earlier Decision Desired.
We came here to prevent strike
and at the same time to obtain full
satisfaction for the men," Timothy
Shea, president of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen. said in COM
menting on the boards announce
ment.
We have held our men back for
three months. ever since the outlaw
strikes began. We have lost sixty
thousand men by revoking charters
of unions which called walkouts. We
would not have held the others an
other week if the board had not
in the immediate future
The biggest walkouts have been
In the east. where the outlaw unions
have no organization. Definite an
nouncement to show they will get a
wage increase dating from May l
and not later than July 20 will do
much to prevent a general strike of
the lines.
But the board would have done
much meter to have promised a de-
cision before July l. Three weeks
and half is a long time to wait in
the present impatient temper of the
men"
YapNmeu Deuoun~> nro<h>rhnoa.
Resolutions reiterating statements
of the Chicago yardmen's association
that its members, who were the first
to start the vacation walkouts."
would not return to work until their
full seniority rights were restored,
were adopted at a mass meeting
called by the association last night
for the purpose Of presenting their
side of the case to the public
John Grunau. president of the Or
ganization, in his address charged that
''all present labor dificulties in the
railroad industry are due to the in
efficiency of the old railroad brother
hoods" adding that these organiza-
tions have become a monarchy"
The brotherhoods approved the
announcement of the railroad board
that its decision would be made by
July 20 to save their own bread and
butter. They knew nearly every man
they took prompt action to stop it.
Sixty per cent of the railroad workers
have taken other, jobs since we Or
ganized and they will never go back
until seniority rights and higher pay
are granted. We are not to be
starved"
Pennsylvania ShOpmen Quit.
PHILADELPHIA. Pa. June 26.-
Despite the labor boards announce
Af od f1otp Of he
railway employees grievances and
that the decision would be retroactive
to May I. Pennsylvania railroad shop
men in this city were reported early
today to have voted to join the walk
out Of the yardmen. The company en-
ploys about 1900 men at its local
shops, and strike leaders announced
that virtually all of them attended the
meeting. and that the vote to strike
was nearly unanimous. The shopmen
have no connection with the railroad
brotherhoods. but are affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor.
Oficials of the company said that al
though they did not believe any large
number would quit work, they never
theiess were preparing for such an
eventuality. They admitted that some
had walked out during the night.
The local situation in the gardiner S
strike today remained unchanged
Reports from upstate showed gains
Tor the StrlkerS ana that the walkout
has caused a number of industries to
shut down because of a coal shortage.
Twenty-four crews of the Reading rail-
way Joined the strike last night at
Coatesville, causing a partial suspen-
sion at the Midvale and Lukens steel
mills. At Shenandoah all the Philadel-
phia and Reading collieries were forced
to suspend for want of coal cars.
Eight collieries are idle in the Potts
vile district. Freight traffic in the
yards at Reading virtually was at a
standstil1.
Ultimatum to Strikers.
The Baltimore and Ohio officials
have announced that all employees of
that company who walked out and
have failed to return to work haze
been discharged and their places are
being filled by new men. Agnew n
Dice. president Of the Reading railway
notified the strikers they would have
, to resume work Immediately or leave
the service.