Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-03-23
Hot Discussion
Features Meet
of Labor Board

Could Be Arrived at,
Ayers Atterbury.
Chicago, March 22.-Charges
that the Pennsylvania railroad
was fighting for the open shop
and that the road maintained
a spy system before the war
were the subjects of a heated
all-day discussion before the
railroad labor board Tuesday.
w. w. Atterbury, vice president of
the Pennsylvania, charged the unions
with attempting to force the closed
shop, and Frank 2. Walsh, labor at
torney, retaliated with declaration that
the PENNSYLVANIA had maintained spies
and arsenals to take care of labor
troubles.
Majority Should be Heard.
The testimony revolved about Mr..
Atterbury's stand that he could nego-
tiate agreements with his own en-
pIOyes but that no just and reasonable
agreements. applicable to the entire
country. could be written by anybody
He also maintained the right of the
minority to q voice and charged the
unions with assuming to represent oil
employees and using coercion in at
tempting to make them join the union.
Attorney Walsh opened discharges
OF a'spy system on the Pennsylvania
spent in 1914 on the roads police sys-
tenn. Mr.. Atterbury explained that
this amount covered all protective
measures, such as crossing watchmen
and similar employees. Under ques-
tioning, however. be admitted that the
road did maintain spy system.
Walsh Refers to "ArsenaIs".
When Mr. Walsh asked the witness
IL the road did mott have little arsen-
ais at various points where you keep
guns and revolversi' Chairman r. NJ
Barton halted the examination and OBJ
served that he could not see what
this subject had to do with national
agreements" and declared it was Ger
tainly away from the inquiry ordered
by the board
Mr.. Walsh then explained that the
rule on discrimination against any en-
ploye because of union affiliation was
the "most important rule there is"
His questions, he said. were intended
to- show that "a situation might arise
and had arisen on the Pennsylvania
where disputes between employees and
the road could not be settled despite
Atterbury's statement that all the
men on the road had grown up, to-
gether''
Mr.. Atterbury introduced union
bulletin which informed shop craft
employees that there would be mo
seniority provisions for positions pro-
vided for any other than employees
and members of the various organiza- !
tions affiliated with the Railway en-
ployes' department" Of the American
Federation of Labor. THIS bulletin
was a direct attempt, Atterbury as
serted, to force nOn-uniOn lnen to JOin
the union under fear of losing SEMI
ority rights.
Allegations against the Pennsylvania
were in turn brought up by Mr..
Walsh who read copy OF a letter
purported to have been written by /.
w. Geer, general manager of the st.
Louis Columbus division of the PEN
nsylyania, in which supervisory en-
ploycs we're ordered to "even resort
to defamation of all labor organiza-
tors if necessary" to obtain certain
information. The letter asked offic-
ia,s to inquire into the attitude of the
employees regarding proposed wage re-
auctions and was dated March 10,
1921. Mr.. Atterbury declared he had
Icver heard of the letter and after
calling Mr.. Greer in st. Louis Ivy long
distance phone, announced that Mr..
letter.
Advocates Piece-Work.
Two votes on piecework taken by
the unions, showing 80 per cent Of the
employees in favor of the hourly basis
OF pay, we're not fair, Mr.. Atterbury
said, and declined to accept the union
figures as correct.
"Thc open ballot as conducted by
these organizations is not fair nor
a decent vote" the witness said. @To
have the men vote so that they may be
i1t;n,idated If they don't vote the way
their officers want them to vote is not
decent way to ask decent man to
vote"
Taking up Mr. Atterbury's minority
reports as chairman of the railway
executives labor committee, in which
he stood against national boards of adj
OF questions on the statements of the
minority group. Mr.. Atterbury de-
clarcd national boards would lead to
naturalization and syndicalsm and
cited William z. Foster as "a syndi- |
calist and A. F. of L. leader" rep
resentatiye of the tlass by which the |
railroads were menaced,
100000 JOBLESS IN MONTREAL. |
Montreal March 22.-More than
100000 men are out of work in Mon
treal. ]. T. Foster, former president I
Of the tyades and labor council, de- !
Ella ed in ~ afaf fement Tllesdax