The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-11-04
RAIL STRIKE IS
CALLED OFF
BY big Five at Labor Boards
Demand
ACTION At JOINT SESSION
Brotherhood Feared They Would Find
Full Force OF Administration
Against Them-code Mes
saqes Sent Out.


Chicago.-The rail strike scheduled
for October 80 was averteds. when lead
ers Of the switchmen, trainmen, con-
nuctors, engineers and firemen at a
Joint meeting adopted resolutions with
drawing authorization of "a walkout,
and officials of the railroad telegraph
ers' organization announced they
would take similar action. These were
the only unions which had authorized
q strike.
The vote calling off the strike was
unanimous by organizations, w. G..
Lee, president Of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen, announced. The
official wording Of the resolution
adopted was that the Strike, be de-
clared not effective"
The first announcement of the ex-
ecutives' action was made by Mr.. Lee.
Rushing to the floor below the hotel
meeting room where dozens of news
paper reporters were congregated, he
smilingly shouted:
1.-THE strike is off, boys!"
All of the union men were smiling
rs they came out and many of them
Peculiarly pushed and showed each 9TH
or down the stairs. To all queries
most of them merely replied:
"It's all settled"
A code word was sent to each gen.
eral chairman of the unions and he
In turn forwarded the, orders to each
of the subordinate officials under him.
The vote in the individual unions
was unusually close, however, the fire.
men particularly holding lengthy argu-
ments before agreeing to cancellation
of the strike order, the labor chieftains
said In some of the groups the bal
lot was, described as "the closest in
history on similar question" All of
the differences were ironed out by the
different unions, however, and the final
showdown found all of them casting
their ballots for mo strike"
L. E. Sheppard, president Of the
Order Of Railway Conductors, said
that the unions had decided to call
off the strike because of "the growing
public opinion that the strike would
be against the Labor Board and con-
sequently the Government, and not
against the railroads."
at was evident also that the entire
Washington Administration was op.
posed to US and that we have had
little chance of gaining our objec-
tives," said Mr.. Sheppard.
I'VE called this strike to gain Ger.
tain rights to which our men were
entitled" Mr.. Sheppard stated.
ut soon became evident, however.
that the roads were succeeding in
their misleading propaganda to the
effect that we really would be strik.
ing against the Government
This railroad propaganda found it's
way to the United States Railroad
Labor Board. This governmental
agency told US that it would look on
q strike as against it and the Gov
eminent and not against the roads,
and that the full force of the Govern
ment would be brought to bear against
US if we walked out. Under such cir.
cumstances there was nothing to do
but to annul our orders for the Octo
Der 80 walkout."
Union leaders said that the resolu
ton adopted by the Labor Board
announcing that no further wage re.
duction petitions for any one group
of employees would be considered
until rules and working conditions fol
the group had been settled was "de
cidedly instrumental" in bringing
about the action calling off the walk
out. They declared that they believed
under this resolution it would be
months before their pay again could
be reduced.