The Washington times., 1921-10-15
LEE CALLS
ON UNIONS
FOR F|CHT 7
TO DEATH
MAY Mean End Of Us, But We
Will Go Through" He
Declares.

: CHICAGO. Oct. 15.A"We are 20
ing out on tha greatest railroad
strike the country has ever known.
Nothing in the world can avert 1t
now," declared w. q. Lee, president
of the Brotherhood Of Railroad
Trainmen, as 500 general chairmen
Of the various railway brotherhoods
convened today to discuss their ac-
ton with regard to the railroad
executives defiance of their threat
to strike against wage reductions
Wage Out Responsible.
The proposals of the railway exc
ecutives for an immediate 10 per cent
reduction in wages is responsible fer
the crisis, Lee said.
1T Is a fight to the finish for the
life or death OF our organization" Lee
said. Perhaps it is a fight to our
death. for we are not going into Il
blindly.
"The leaders OF the workers win
leave Chicago today with sealed or
ders calling for q strike. As for the
date, II already has been published,
and the beginning, as has been ipdi.
Gated, will be by groups-first one
line and then another going out"
Lees statement is the first official
confirmation Of the report that Octo-
Der 80 has been fixed as the date for
the strike.
Accuses Executives,
THE executives. as usual, are, pull.
ing the wool over the eyes of the pub.
lic," Lee said.
While the rail union leaders are in
their final counsels here preparing
for the strike, attorneys for the ex-
ecutives are drawing up the petition
States Railway Labor Board for a res
duction in wages, in accordance with
their decision yesterday.
Union chiefs today were still some.
what dazed by the sudden challenge
Of the railway executives. Armed
with an almost unanimous strike
vote Of their memberships, tho
brotherhood chiefs believed they held
a club which would be effective in
forcing from the railways an agree
ment that would prevent further
wage cuts.
The union heads were unwilling, in
advance of today's meeting, to COM
ment upon their probable course Of
action.
The railroad executives made Il EN-
phatically clear that they were ready
now to fight out to a finish the issue
Of lower wages.
Rates Depend on Pay.
Many of the executives who met
here yesterday frankly asserted that
lower wages were the only thing that
could bring about lower freight rates,
demanded by shippers, without bring
ing bankruptcy to scores Of rail-
roads.
The executives lost no time In
deciding to go before the labor board
and petition for immediate wage
reductions.
1t was reported today that the roads
were planning to put into effect Of
their own volition a 10 per cent wage
reduction without waiting for tho
Labor Board to act. This cut In to go
into effect, II Is reported, as soon As
the payrolls OF the various roads can
be readjusted. The Railway Labor
Board, II is pointed out, will be with
out jurisdiction until the issue has
been brought before II through pro-
tests of the various unions.
No official announcement of this In
tention to put into effect an immcdi.
ate blanket reduction was made be-
fore the executives adjourned their
meeting, but II was unoffioially Sc
ported that the tacit understanding
to this end had been reached.
The curtness OF the rebuff given tho
unions was emphasized by the early
adjournment OF the executives. n
conference lasting many days, with
frequent interchanEes between the