El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-06-26
FORECAST RAIL
WAGE INCREASE
Continued from page -

percent. Members Of the board re-
[ fused TO corroborate this report
A decision on the demands Of railroad
[ employees for wage increases viii be
I made on or before July 20 by the
railway labor board. judge II. n. Bar
[ ton, chairman. said in a statement late
I yesterday The award would be re-
I troactive to May I. the statement said.
D According to W. c. Lee, president
| Of the Brotherhood OF Railway Train
men and spokesman for union leaders
| who gathered here, the boards dec
/ laration would end all danger Of a
/ general railroad strike.
Mr.. Lee said that secret plans had
! been made by a disaffected union
element TO spread the strike through
out the country because Of the con-
tinued delay in announcing the wage
ruling.
THE men would have quit at mid
night Saturday night" Mr.. Lee said.
cit was impossible TO hold them
longer Men OF my organization have
! been waiting patiently for nearly a
year"
The railway boards statement de-
cla1ed that an agreement on a method
Of working out the wage problems
! had been arrived at and that no
time would be lost in reaching a con-
clusiOn.
Promise Satisfactory to Men.
Lee and other representative Of the
recognized railroad hrotherhoods who
met here yesterday TO discuss the
railroad wage situation, said there
was no doubt the men would be salts
fled with the promise Of a decision TO
relieve their impatience-
''Was the decision the result Of
warning OF a probable strike brought
by You and your association Lee
was asked
You can draw your own conclus-
Ions as 10 that" Lee answered
In a later statement Mr.. Lee de-
clared that even the most conserve
tive members OF these examinations
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 continues. I'VE urge our
members TO continue TO carry out
their obligations TO their organiza-
tons and the contract relations with
means Of helping the situation
Chiefs To Meet July 10.
General chairmen Of the IS recoE-
nized railroad organizations viii meet
in Chicago July 70 10 consider and
pass upon the awards BY the board.
Il was announced
I've came here 70 prevent a strike
and at the same time 10 obtain full
satisfaction for the men" said limo
thy Shea president OF the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Firemen. in com
men ting on the boards announcement
1--WE have held our men back for
three months. ever since the outlaw
strikes began. We have lost $4,000
men by revokinE charters OF unions
which called walkouts. We could not
hold the others another week. II the
board had not promised Us TO an
nounce its decision in the immediate
future"
chicago aOutIavvsv Defiant.
Resolutions reiteratinE statements
of the Chicago Yardmen's association
that its workers. who were the first
to start the vacation walkouts"
would not return 10 work until their
rull seniority rights were restored
were adopted at a mass meeting called
by the association last night for the
announced purpose OF presenting
their side OF the case 10 the public"
The resolutions appeal TO the press
and various civic and commercial or
CARNATIONS 10 urge the Interstate
CONNER commission to restore their
seniority rights. Copies viii be sent
to the Democratic national conven-
ton.
John Grunau. president OF the or
ganization. in his address charged
that all present labor difficulties in
the railroad industry are due 10 the
inefficiency OF the old line railroad
brotherhoods"
But for the inefficiency Of the
men at the head OF the railroad
brotherhoods the difficulties between
the men and the roads would have
been settled within two weeks"
Brunau continued
Because the brotherhoods failed us
more than 275.o00 men now have left
the roads and their places are being
taken by 16 year old youths IN viola
ton Of the law. As a result OF the
inefficiency OF these boys daily mur-
der IS being committed. the hospitals
are filling with leEless and armless
men and millions Of dollars worth OF
equipment Is being destroyed
The brotherhoods approved the an
nouncement 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
in the service would join us unless
they took prompt action 10 stop It
Sixty percent Of the railroad work
ers have taken other Jobs since we
organized and they viii never 60
back until seniority rights and higher
pay are granted. We are not 10 be
starved out"