The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-22
SPEECH BY ATTERBURY
Vice President Appeals for
Plan to Eliminate Even
Voting for Strike.
FOR QUICK ADJUSTMENTS
Conference Has All Day Ses-
, sion and Will Be Resumed
VI To-day.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 21.-A meeting
Of officers and representatives or the
employees of the Pennsylvania Rail
road system, designed to set up ma
chinery to handle promptly controver-
sial questions affecting men in the
train service OF the company was held
here to-day at the call Of Gen. W. w.
Atterbury, vice. president in charge OF
operation.
It was announced by the company
that vice-presidents. general managers,
general superintendent and superin-
tendents of the entire system and Slo
representatives of the $1,000 members
of the four principal railroad brother
hoods attended. the meeting, the occa-
sion being declared unique" by Gen.
Atterbury in an address to those pres
ent. There was an all day discussion
and the meeting will be resumed TO-
morrow.
1t was explained by Pennsylvania
Railroad authorities that the question
of the CLOSED shop" is involved in so far
as the national boards of adjustment
generally favored by national leaders OF
the brotherhoods, tend to make railroaos
s'closed shops" The transportation act
of Congress besides creating the national
boards of adjustment also permits the
creation Of local boards whereby a rail-
road can deal with the men on its own
system without reference to national
boards. 1t was for the purpose, it was
said. of getting the sentiment of the
railroaders as to the advisability OF set
ting up these boards that the meeting
was called.
Division of System.
After referring to the decentralization
of the system into four grand divisions,
Mr.. Atterbury said:
ct have waited with great deal of
interest to see whether the employees
themselves would recognize that with the
change in the system organization there
could also come similar change in the
method Of handling all matters as be-
tween the management and the en-
ployees. 1t could mean to the men ex-
= actly what 1t means to the public-that
Is, quick and intelligent decisions.
- 1T has been clear to me that the ex-
listing overlapping of the schedules or
contradictory schedules. on the divisions
or In the regions would necessarily. Gre
ate a situation which the men would
> themselves recognize. and would volun-
tarily organize themselves to provide re-
gional committees to correspond with our
regional organization.
r II have been willing to await this
time, but our hands have been forced. 1
feel. by the decision of the Labor Board
that they have no jurisdiction in regard
TO boards of adjustment--the boards OF
adjustment can only De formed by the
voluntary action Of the management and
its employees. This explains why have
called this meeting.
Three Principal Points.
Three principal points should be dis
cussed. First, regional committees; sec
ond, the principles of schedules-whether
system. regional or divisional third, the
setting up of machinery to handle
promptly controversial questions.
we have heard great deal the last
rev years of collective bargaining One
hardly knows what the theorist means
oy collective bargaining but II by
collective bargaining you mean the en-
pioyees and the arrangements sitting
down seriously to discuss working con-
ditions. and a schedule results which Is
mutually satisfactory. then we have
had collective bargaining in force for
at least seventeen years. This meeting
to-day Is in continuance of that policy.
Some 310 men are here representing
approximately $1,000 men. or nearly 80
per cent. of all our employees. You are
the men In the train service, the most
responsible, the mostly highly organ
lied and. generally. the most highly
paid.
I'm all these seventeen years, although
occasionally strikes have been threat
ened. never once has a strike been
called. We always have been able to
compose our difficulties.
THE successru1 solution OF the prob
lens that are before you. II carried TO
b logical conclusion. means that not only
viii there never be a strike, but that Il
will never be necessary to take a strike
arr.t1 t1x~ow, Il. -