The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-15
Members Of House Of
Commons Take Part in
Fight Many of Them
Asserting That Wages
Are Too Low; Outlook
For Close Of Strike Be-
lieved to be Bright.

Chicago. April Is. Both railroad
executives and labor leaders today
declared the decision of the United
States railroad labor board abrogat-
! ing the national agreements would
materially advance the effort To arrive
at an agreement satisfactory to all
parties. The board has invited en-
/ ployeS and employers to confer and
agree on new wage scales by July l.
Labor representatives said many of
the sixteen principles laid down by
the boards decision to govern the con
GerenceS on new working agreements
especially the eight hour day and the
right OF employees to organize and Sc
leCt their own representatives, in
clude principles they have been fight
ing for Railway executives said the de.
cl%lon recognized their contention that
many of the rules should not have ma.
tiona application.
The decision affects members of
nineteen unions including all those af.
lIlated with the railway department
Of the American Federation of Labor.
In this group are the big four" the
J organizations Of engineers, firemen,
tralnmen and conductors. 1t also af-
lNctS lelegrapherS, clerks, shop EN-
ploEeH. maintenance of way employees,
sheet metal workers. Switchmen and
those members OF the National Organ
IZation of Masters. Mates and Pilots
OF America, who are employed by rail
roads.
When the abrogation was proposed
several months ago by W. w. Alter
bury, vice president OF the Pennsyl-
the national agreements were costing
the railroads $500 900 900 a year, be.
cause certain economies in shop CON
ditions could not be put into effect un.
der the old rules.
A meeting of the conference com.
mlttee of the Association of Rail-
way Executives. of which f. T. Whit
er Is chairman, is called for today to
discuss the application of the decision
to the individual roads The execu-
tlves' side OF the argument in favor
OF the abrogation of the old national
agreements was presented to the
board through Mr. Whittier.
There can be no question that the
decision has opened the way for more
satisfactory rules and working condi-
tions than are now in effect" said
Samuel q. Dunn, editor of the Rail-
way Age. today, and should result
in substantial increase in efficiency
OF labor and a reduction of railroad
expenses. The decision is partly a
victory for the railroads and partly
for the employees What the outcome
will be so far as railroad efficiency is
concerned. depends upon the confer.
ences to be held"
The decision came just before. the
terms OF three members OF the board
expired at midnight last night These
men appointed for one year when the
board was organized. are Henry Hunt
cincinnati, one OF the representatives
OF the general public: W. l.. Park
Chicago, railway representative and
j. j. Forester, Washington, n. C..
one of the labor members. Their sue.
cessors have not been appointed and
thelr places will he vacant because
the act creating the board failed to
specify that members should continue
IN Office until their successors qualify.
Last nights decision had nothing
TO do with the various wage confer
enceS which have been instituted by
various railroads within the last few
weeks and some of which have already
resulted in disputes that have reached
the board. The rules finding will af.
feet the pay envelopes only insofar as
1t results in modification OF the regu-
lations concerning what constitutes
vertime. determining Just when
railroad man starts work and similar
subjects -.