Evening journal., 1921-10-18
REASONS FOR
/ Rail STRIKE
Stone, in Signed Statement,
Declares Amicable Settle
men Was Impossible
QUESTION WAS
REFERRED TO MEN

CLEVELAND. Oct. 1S.-In a sign
ed statement Warren s stone, pres
ident OF the Brotherhood OF Loco
motive Engineers, has set forth the
reasons for the big -Four" trans
portation organizations authorizing
a strike OF their membership, which
is set 10 begin October so. In the
statement he reviews the various at
tempts made to obtain an amicable
settlement.
Mr.. Stones statement follows:
THE mems position and their rea-
sons for striking are, ia part, as fol-
lows;
When the transportation act Of
1920 became a law Il was hoped by
the employees that all disputes would
be adjusted. and decisions rendered
by the board would be complied with
by the carriers and employees. In
stead Of complying with the decisions
OF the Labor Board. the railroads
soon began 20 disregard OF nout its
decisions. Flagrant cases OF this be-
ing tho action Of the Atlanta Bir-
mingham aud Atlantic. the Erie. the
Pennsylvania Railroad and many
other cases that could be cited.
TT is well known and admitted
by all. that the railway men we're
the last TO receive any increase dur
ing the war period. During August.
1919. the Brotherhood OF Locomotive
Engineers submitted to President
Wilson a statement setting forth
that a decrease in the cost OF the ne
cessity OF life was necessary or an
increase OF wages was imperative
-From that time on the question
OF wages was discussed on different
occasions and was fiaaaiy submitted
to the Labor Board. II July, 1890,
the board handed down a decision
which based on an tho facts they
declared was just and equitable and
further stated that their conclusion
we're reached after long considers
ton OF all the facts as evidenced by
the testimony before that board
Later Mr. Atterbury OF the Penn
syivania Railroad appeared before
the board and in a spectacular pres
entation demanded an immediate
reduction OF the wages OF all rail-
road employees Notwithstanding the
carriers had been granted a ma
terial increase in freight and pas
senger rates in order to meet the
increased wages granted by the
board. This was denied on tech
nical grounds because the carriers
had not properly created a dispute
in accordance with the transpor-
tation act.
'-rhe railroads then began to
serve notice on all their employees
demanding redu ctions in pay there
by legally creating a dispute which
was referred to the labor board. re-
sulting in a twelve per cent reduc-
ton as OF July first, 1871.
ITO further aggravate the situa-
ton, Immediately following this
meeting a great number OF the rail-
roads served notice on their en-
ployes that they would revise a
schedule and take from them the
rules governing their service that
had been in effect for from ten to
thirty years.
said rules were obtained partly
by the efforts Of the United states
Board Of Mediation or Boards OF
Arbitration, OF which the neutral
members were appointed by the rep
rcsentatives az the government. The
majority Of such rules we're the re-
suits OF negotiations across the table
with the representatives OF the or.
CARNATIONS and the managers OF the
Individual railroads. and acknowi.
edged TO be fair and equitable
"A conference Of all general chair
men was arranged TO be held In th'
month OF July in the city Of Chi
cago. Tho result OF said conference
was to instruct the executives OF the
organizations to meet the execu'
tives OF the. railroads some time prior
to September /, for the purpose o
trying to bring about an amicabl'
adjustment. That was done, and Z
committee OF railroad executive.
was met 4. the East, Southeast ana