The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-04-19
ACTION OF BOARD
MEETS APPROVAL
Railway and Labor Leaders Applaud
Abrogation Of Wage
Agreements


ing the national agreements would
materially advance the effort to ar
rive at an agreement satisfactory tc
: all parties. The board directed indiv-
isual roads and their employees to con-
fer and agree upon new working
ules by JULY.
Labor representatives said many Of
16 basic principles laid down in
boards decision to govern the
erences on new working agree
IS, especially the 8-hour day and
Iht ef the etapa Dyes to asganize
llect their own representatives
ll1de principles they have been
fighting for. Railway executives said
that the decision recognized their con-
tentioa that many of the faless should
net have nstiaad application.
NsThe 6eeisien affects members of
1s unions including all those affiliated
with the railway department ptff the
Amesean Federation *ef Labor IN
this group are the 81 fonr, !" the
organizations, Of engineers, fremen,
trainmep and conductors. 1t also af-
fects telegraph operators, clerks, shop
employees, maintenance Of way en-
pleYes, sheet metal workers, switch
men and those members of the Ma
tioBal organization of Masters,
Mates and Pile ) IF America who are
employed by railroads" ~
When the abrogation Of national
agreements was proposed several
msaths ago by ". ". Atterbury. vice
president of the Pennsylvania rail
read, it was declared that the nation
al agreements were costing railroads
$500, 100000 year, because certain
economies in shop conditions could
not he put into effect under the old
rules. :.
A meeting Of the conference COM
mittees of the Association OF Rail
way Exeeutixes, Of which p. T. Whit
ner is chairman, was called for today
to discuss the application of thesde-
cision to the individual roads. The
executives side of the argument IN
favor Of abrogaton of the old nation
al agreements was presented to the.
board through Mr.. Whitner.
There can be no question that
the decision has opened the ways for
more satisfactory rules and working
conditions than are now IN effect"
said Samuel O.. Dunn, editor Of the
Railway Age, today. t:san5 shepllds re-
suit in substantial increase I'm: eHi-
ciency of labor and a reductipn' Of
railroad expenses. The decision is
partly vietaspsfa tsaesra roaGssand.
partly fers the~employ aas the
outcome will be.so fares railfead eff
feiency is concerned depends upon
the conferences to he held"
ssThe decision came just before the
terms of three members ee the hoard
expired atimidnight last night These
men, appointed fer one year when the
board was organized are Henry Hurt,
c;ne;nnati2 one Of the representatives
Of tie general public; w. L..Park,5I
Chicago. railway representative, ana
III. Forester, Wash,agsaa, %: G.,
one Of The labor naanbers. Their
successors have not been appointed
and their places will be vacant be-
cause the act creating the board fall
ed to specify that members should
continne in Office until their success
sors qualified. =
Ss.Last nights decision had nothing
to4ado with the various wage confer:
ences (which have been instituted BY
various railroads within the last few
weeks and some of which have alrea-
dy resulted in disputes that have
reached the board. The rules finding
viii affect pay. envelopes only in SO
Tar as it results in naodifcations OF
regulations concerning what const-
tutes overtime, defining just when a
raiiroad man starts work and similar
snbjeets:"