New-York tribune., 1921-02-11

earliest possible date.
IF any of these rules and working
conditions are unjust and unreason-
sble," said the decision, "they consti-
tute an unwarranted burden upon the
railroads and upon the public. II is
therefore the duty OF this board to use
the utmost practicable expedition, con-
slstent with the necessary time FOR
hearing and consideration, in deter
mining whether any OF the rules and
working conditions now in effect are
unreasonable.
"Ihe board is endeavoring to perform
its obligation and Will be better able
70 succeed in doing so If it is not
further interrupted by the introduc-
party"
Mr.. Walsh asked the summoning of
twenty-four prominent railroad direc-
tors to testify before the board.
I'VE expect to prove that these men
aave financial control of large railroads
and by cross-eXamination to bring cut
that the national agreements have not
Mr.. Walsh declared
The men named were Robert s. Low
EFT, William Rockefeller, H. W. De
Forest, A. II. Smith, G. F. Baker. III. s.
Vanderbilt, Samuel Rea. l.. f. Loree.
A. j. County, A. W. Krech, Julius
kruttschnitt +. H. Davis, Fairfax Har-
rison, w. w. Atterbury, q. e. Reynolds
Charles Steele, NJ. II. Smith, Charles
Hayden, A. H. Harris, Charles E. lnger-
soil, E. I. Stotesbury, II. Walters, T.
De Witt Cuyler and E. V. r. Thayer.
Government Payments
Mr. Walsh declared that one of the
motives behind the demand of the roads
Tor abrogation of the agreement was to
secure an inferential decision by the
board that there had been war waste,
which would aid them in their cases
against the government in which they
seek millions IN damages through such
waste.
Mr.. Jewell, in the plea for the union
which he filed, asserted that General
Atterbury abused the courtesy of the
board in granting him an opportunity
to speak under it's sanction, by using
that privilege in vainly attempting to
coerce employees of the roads by
threatening them with 6 lockout if
the ultimatum which he laid down is
not Immediately accepted"
He added that through the publicity
which the Atterbury statement attained
the union employees were ALREADY
face to face with what virtually is a
lockout"
Mr.. Jewell also charged the railroad
executives with framing up of evi-
dence," and declared 6 fair considera-
tion of the pending case is impossible
until the motives inspiring the re-
quest to abrogate the national agree
ment are fully revealed both to the
board and the public.
He asserted that last weeks state
ment to the board by General After
bury was designed to stampede the
board into position which mature
consideration would prove to be inde-
fensible." He added that General After
bury also attempted to falsely con-
vince the public that high rates due
10 financial irregularities and ineffi-
clencies of railroad management are
attributable TO the unions of railroad
workers, and to obtain a weapon from
which to exact from the government
full payment of the exorbitant claims
which the railroads are making and
to coerce and threaten the railroad
workers by the specter If unemploy-
ment and reduced wages"
Mr.. Jewell charged that General At
Gerbury is the spokesman of power
full financial combination seeking to re-
establish "this autocratic control from
which the war has forced US and which
was especially exemplitied by condi-
tlons on the Pennsylvania Railroad"
General Atterbury," he added, "has
revealed the intention of certain men
70 override the board and to frame up
the case. He represents a conspiracy
attempting to cast discredit upon the
government in its administration of
the railroads and to destroy the legiti-
mate organizations of the railroad en-
. rloyees.
"By momentarily stampeding the
labor committee of the Association of
Railway Executives, and by taking ad-
vantage of the courtesy and confidence
OF this board, he evidently hoped to
dlscredit the government, misrepresent
employees to the public and fasten
the unjust treatment to and unbelieva-
bic conditions of employment of the
agement and employees of all railroads.
Speaks for Investors
General Atterbury undoubtedly
knows that the present plight of the
roads is not due to the inefficiency of
the employees: He knows that it is
not due to mistreatment accorded to
roads under Federal control.
"One significant thing he said in the
course of his ultimatum, You cannot
make retroactive tomorrow the saw
1ngs that should have been made to-
day
This should be litter pill to many
small investor in railway securities
who has lost the result of savings
through the squandering of railroad
wealth for which the fnanciers are re-
sponsible.
"By making raid on the pocket
books of the employees he says he can
secure $500, 100000 Other raids will
follow, according to his own statement,
although q three months truce must
be declared. But if this policy should
be accepted other raids must follow,
for S300,000,000 would not save the
railroads from a collapse such as Gen
erai Atterbury foretells."
"This conspiracy" added Mr.. Jewell,
"aims at the disruption of the legiti-
mate organizations of the workers of
the country and the introduction of
chaotic industrial conditions dominated
by the huge economic power of an
had up to this period practically the
control of the working and living con-
ditions of millions of wage earners
and their families"
The railroad union chief demanded
that the board recall General After
bury and require him TO furnish a
full list of the railroads the point of
view of which he expressed and full
exposition of the nature OF his authori-
ization."
"We hardly need point out to you,
Mr.. Chairman" he said, "that the rail
roads, having used your wage decision
as lever to obtain the highest freight
and passenger rates ever accorded, are
now anxious to be rid of the protection