Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-18

situation.
Mr.. Stone said the cause of the
strike is largely because of the action
of the railroad managers in requesting
further 10 per cent wage reduction
and the elimination Of favorable work
ing agreements on upwards of IS
roads, in addition to the II per cent
wage reduction which went into effect
July ]. The railroads can settle the
strike by the elimination of these con-
ditions, Mr.. Stone said.
THE government can prevent the
strike by taking over the railroads.
and this is what will happen eventual
ly,' Mr. Stone said.
Mr. Stone said he believed that the
railroads want a strike" and that Il
further reduction in wages is much less
desirable to the railroad executives than
the abrogation of rules and regulations
won by employees in various ways as
the result of years of organized ef-
forts"
Not Wages Alone
THE railroad executives can settle
the dispute or the United States gov
ernment can prevent a strike Mr.
Stone declared Taking over the rail
roads is the most effective way in which
the government can avert the strike
scheduled for October 30.
IF it had been a question of wage
reductions only. there would have been
no STRIKE" Mr. Stone asserted. Il
have from IS to 100 letters giving in
stances of attempts by different rail
roads to break down the working rules
that have been secured by arbitration.
by decisions of the United States Rail
road Labor board and in other ways.
The railroads can settle the strike by
the elimination of these conditions and
withdrawal Of their request for fur
ther 10 per cent wage reduction" Mr..
Stone said.
In signed statement. Mr.. Stone
set forth the reasons for the big five
organizations authorizing strike and
reviews the various attempts made to
obtain an amicable settlement.
The statement said:
THE mems position and their rea
sons for striking are in part as fol-
lows:
when the transportation act Of
1920 became law. it was hoped by the
employees that all disputes would be
adjusted and decisions rendered by the
board would be complied with by the
carriers an demployes. Instead of COM
plying with the decisions of the labor
board. the railroads soon began to dis
regard or flout its decisions. flagrant
cases being the action of the Atlanta.
Birmingham e. Atlantic. the Erie, the
Pennsylvania railroad and many other
cases that could be cited.
Last to Get Increase
1T is well known and admitted by
ALL that the railway men were the last |
to receive any increase during the war !
period. During August, 1919. the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
submitted to President Wilson a state
ment setting forth that a decrease in |
the cost of necessities of life was nee
perative.
From that time on, the question of |
wages was discussed on different oc
casions and was finally submitted to
the labor board. In July, 1920. the
based on all the facts, they declared
board handed down decision which.
was just and equitable and further
stated that their conclusions were
the facts as evidenced by the testimony
before the board.
Later, Mr.. Atterbury of the Penn
sylvania railroad appeared before the
board and in spectacular presentation
demanded an immediate reduction of
the wages of all railroad employees not
withsanding the carriers had been
granted material increase in freight
and passenger rates in order to meet
the increased wages granted by the
board. This was denied on technical
grounds because the carriers had not
properly created a dispute in accord
ance with the transportation act.
Roads Create Dispute
THE railroads then began to serve
notice on all their employees demanding
reductions in pay. thereby legally cre-
ating dispute which was referred to
the labor board resulting in -
per cent reduction as Of July /, 1921.
ITO further aggravate the situation,
Immediately following this meeting a
great number of the railroads served
notice on their employees that they
would revise schedule and take from
the rules governing their working con-
ditiOns clauses that had been in effect
from 10 to 30 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
representatives of the government. The
majority of such rules were the result
nf negotiations across the table with .
thP representatives of the organizations
and the managers Of the individual
Y tContinued on Page Two, u