South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-20
RAIL BOARD
HOLDS FIRST
MEET TODAY
Outlaw Workers Will Present
Demands Despite Boards
Refusal to Hear Them.
By Associated Press

By Associated Press:
WASHINGTON, April 10. I'm
deferred by the refusal of the rail-
road labor board to hear them Mon
day, representatives Of the railroa j
strikers announced that they would
present written complaints. togeth-
er with demands for a living wage"
20 the board which Tuesday will be-
gin formal hearings on the big wage
controversy.
The board flatly declined to re
ceive. entertain or consider" CON-
plants from strikers, declaring it
would not hear anyone except those
who were adopting every reasonable
means of avoiding interruption of
railroad service.
Officials Attend Meet.
The board will proceed with the
wage dispute involving claims of
neary two million men which failed
of adjustment when the bipartisan
board ceased TO function April l..
Heads of the four brotherhoods and
the chairman Of the Association Of
Railway Executives, all OF whom
were present Monday, will attend.
Timothy Shea, president of the
Brotherhood Of Railroad Firemen,
that speedy settlement would be
urged. Refusal of the board to
hear strikers, Shea said. would have
the effect Of sending all Of the
strikers back to work. many OF
whom had been led astray, he
thought, in the blief that the board
might recognize them.
Demand Guarantee.
Delegations claiming TO repre-
sent railroad men of every craft in
various cities who have quit work
appeared at the Offices of the board
Monday demanding assurance of a
substantial guarantee Of increased
wages" which they said would send
strikers back to work. They COM
posed an unorganiZed association,
they said. known as the Railroad
Workers OF America. insisting that
they still retained their membership
in the recognized unions, since they
had not struck" but had only
gone on a vacation"
After adopting rules of proceed
ure for hearing disputes. the board
admitted several delegations.
immediately protest was entered
by W. y. Doak. wee president Of the
Brotherhood of Railroad TTainm en-,
who COntended that the officers Of
the eighteen railroad organizations
present represented the men unless
they had quit their jobs, in which
case they were no longer employees
of the railroads, or members of the
recognized unions.
General Dissatisfaction.
General dissatisfaction with the
boards action was expressed by the
railroad workers. Edward McHugh,
represe nting strikers in New York
and New Jersey declared that he
would continue his efforts TO OBJ
tain some assurance of an increase
from the board, adding that 5000
men in the New York district would
not go back 10 work until such as
SuranCe was received.
The railroad workers ENJOYS de-
clared that they would not return
until they had Iron clad assur-
ances Of of an adjustment Of their
grievances. They would present
their formal demands. they said,
and then go 10 their men and await
a decision granting increased wages.
Vigorous objection was expressed by
these representatives to the term
striker" They claim that they
have not struck as there has been
no order from the officials of their
unions adopted by referendum vote,
but that they merely laid down their
tools until they get more pay.
Yardmen from st Louis claim
they are not sufficiently represented
before the board by the recognized
unions and demand that they oe al
lowed TO legislate for themselves.