El Nuevo mexicano., 1920-04-22

rass and harass labor leaders who are dia
posed to use peaceful means Of accompilHh-
Ing their ends before resoTting to strikes,
sgFhe situation presented when the wage
negotiations between the committees ~ the
railway companies and the 1aD0r organizar
Itions were terminated afforded the radicals
a good chance to make trouble. 4 gave
them an opportunity to say that the en-
ployes had waited long enough to have their
wage demands settled; that the old labor
Organizations and their leaders had shown
incapacify for dealing With the situation and
that the only way the employees could set
what they were entitled tltwaa hy pTeAkine
away from the old ofganaEatiQna ana going
on. strike, with the spirit Of unrest prevail
ing among an classes Of labor, this klna Al
talk was bound 70 cause some trouble, N
first caused a strike Of switching crews ~
the yards III Chicago and then similar out
breaks in other parts Of thu cppntrY.
'The leaders Of the large labor hr0ther'
hoods have been put iii a difficult Rasitlon
Nv these deYelopments. Their organizations
have contracts with the various railways
The strikes which have occurred, being by
members Of the organizations, are N direct
v~iolation Of these contracts. The railway
COMPANIES can say that there is no use In
making contracts with organizations which
cannot carry them ont. and 20 demand that
the brotherhoods shall help them fight and
win the strikes both as q faatter Of good
Faith and to show that it is worth while to
make contracts with them, The brother
hoods have a strong Incentive TO fight the
not only in the fact that they en-
danger their contract relations with the
railways, but also in the fact that any sue
cess the strikers might have ID getting con-
from the railways which the
br~otherhOods nave been unable to get would
tend to discredit and disrupt the brother
hoods.
"The railways cannot well negotiate with
the strikers, because the railways have con-
with the brotherhoods. and any recog
milton of the strikers by them, through ne
cotiations or otherwise, would promptly en-
them with the bretherhoods, In the
background. also. are the demands for
81, 100000, 900 IN advances In wages, which
employees as a whole, are making
II the wage demands Of striking employees Of
particular class In any part Of the coun-
try should be granted 1t would at once be-
comeSaeeessary, on pain Of strikes else
where, to make similar advances to an other
Of the same class throughout the
But there are WelIrec0gnized rela
.ionships hetween the wages OF different
classes Of railway employees and II. except
the mandate Of some authoritative
9Ody, such as the Railroad Labor Board an /
in wages should be given one class
II employees throughout the country cores :
advances would have to be given at
nee to other classes throughout the country Z
,r there would be strikes by them. It Is mol 4
sxaggeration, therefore, to say that II, In 1
,rder to end the strike at Chicago. for exs 8
the railways should grant the adj 1
Tances In wages which are being demanded q
the striking switchmen there, they would :
make q change In the adjustment OF wages .
which probably would soon either force
hem 10 grant the entire billion dollar ad. IS
Tanee row being demanded without any
before the Railroad Labor BOARD \
r TO fight d general strike. =
The pubic certainly does not want d
ihi0n dollar wage advance granted without
~ hearings and an Intelligent determine Z
Of the issues invs~ red by an impartial !
nblic authority This would defeat the en- L
Ire spirit and purpose OF tho labor provis. I
ors Of the new railroad Law. And the public !,
ertatnly does not want a general railroad
trike. Therefore. as we have said, the
ublie should bach the railways and the !,
Totherho0ds to the limit in fighting the =
now occurring. Whatever may have
cen their relations and conduct IN the past. \.
Ihateyer may be their present motives, both :
he labor hrptherhoods and she Companies
re struggling % get the wage controversies 4
ow PENDING settled peacefully and IN ac- Il
ofdanca with the requirements Of tho law.
strikers are trying to get what they 2
ant By force. regardless Of the merits 81
heir demands, Of the provisions OF law and Y
( the rights and welfare of the public. IL IL \
italy important to the public peace ana q
Felfare that n the first great controversy q
2 arise between the railways and their en-. 2