Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-26
Wrangle Results Over Roll
Call; Lee Gives History OF
Strike Issue And Tells The
Reasons For Stand, Taken
In Situation; Stone Puts
Up Fight.

termine whether the big four brother
hoods and the switchmen's union
have violated or are preparing to vio-
late the wage cut decision Of July /.
airing of the inner politics OF the rail
unions which led to the taking OF q !,
separate strike ballot by the train
men.
W. G. Lee, called to the stand by
Ben w. Hooper, who is prosecuting
attorney" for the board. declared the
strike ballot of the other four organi-
cations violated his understanding of
what the transportation act provided.
Lee said he withdrew from the joint
meeting when the other unions pre-
pared statement to accompany the
ballot in which they referred to pro-
posed wage cuts and rules revis~Apns,
not yet decided by the board. as
among the questions at issue.
Lee told the board he understood
the July wage cut was the only
question on which a strike could
legally be called.
Wrangie Over Roll Gall.
Taking Of the testimony of the
brotherhood chiefs followed more
than an hour of wrahgling over the
roll call. Warren 8. Stone, president
"f the Brotherhood OF Locomotive
Engineers, objected to the roll call of
his general chairnen, and when the
board finally undertook to call their
names it was discovered the cl1airmen
had obeyed Stones instructions and
ignored the boards order to, attend
the hearing. % s44a
The brotherhood chiefs served no.
tice on the board they would with
draw at any time they choose & and
leave subordinates in their places
after the board-peEzRitted several rail-
road presidents to Answer to the roll
call for absent executives.
The hall was packed for the hear
ing, estimates OF the attendance rang
ing from 1000 to 1900.
Mr.. Stones frequent objections to
the proceedings and to the activity of
photographers kept the meeting in an
uproar for some time. At the noon
hour the engineers president created
diversion by chasing photographer
down the street and across a vacant
lot. -,
Told of Vote.
Lee told how the strike vote was
taken and the walkout ordered. He
told the board he withdrew from the
joint meeting OF; tho other unions be-
cause their strike resolution covered
questions he did not think were in
: voIved.
IT took the position" Lee said,
that for once in my life, at least. I
wanted to tell the truth to my men
about the facts as I saw them"
Lee read into the record a circular
letter sent to his men while they
were voting on the strike. in which
ne pointed out that wages must come
down and that 100000 unemployed
men were seeking jobs.
Mr.. Lee declared the difference be-
| tween himself and the other unions
arose when he insisted in a clean cut
statement." pointing out there was no
| possibility Of reopening negotiations
with the roads, using the strike vote
as a club. becausce the labor board
and not the roads, had ordered the
wage out.
At IL o'clock the board recessed
until 2 O'Clock.
Lee had not completed his state
J ment.
! Judge Barton predicted the hearing
"oulo be completed by THURSDAY
=! noon.
F., When the hearing was resumed at
2 p. m. Judge Barton announced a
/ night session would bc held from 7 to
8 tonight.
Continuing his questioning of Pres
! ldent Lee OF the Trainmen, Mr. Hoop
i er asked who had the proper author
lty to call off the strike. Mr.. Lee said
only the general committee, but that
Mr.. Lee. as chief executive, could
/ send the word when the committee
had reached a satisfactory settle
ment."
Lee said his general chairmen now
/ IN Chicago could issue the necessary
| orders for recalling the strike order,
j out only whens the roads made such
settlement as the men demanded.
Hooper brought out that Lee had
told his general chairmen to obey the
ooard's order and appear today.
/. Nothing to Do With Strike.
Lee. in response to questions about
the meeting with the railroad execu-
| tives at the Blackstone hotel here Oc-
| tober IA, declared nothing said at that
conference had anything to do with
theI trainmen's decision to strike.
The board has claimed Jurisdiction
over the strike dispute on the ground
that the October IL conference ended
J in a dispute.
Lee declared he had already reached
his decision before the October IA
meeting. ~ /
ITO me there was only one thing
ieft 70 do, Mr.. Lee continued THAT
/ was TO go down with my men. il they
go down. or resign and preferred to
go with them
Mr.. Hooper pressed his inquiries of
! the distinction made between the
question OF the July wage cut on ths
l ballot proper and references to the
j question OF time and one half and fur
ther pay cuts. MIR. Lee stool on fia
affirmation that the trninnaen's hal
lot was only on the July wage cut.
Was, not the inclusion OF these
! Confined on page ~