The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-29
Board Is Not Fair.

Board Is Not Fair.
From the distance it does not ap-
pear that the railroad labor board
is fair with the brotherhoods. They
are compelled to answer whether or
not the strike call for October 80 was
not in violation of the July / ruling
of the board. which cut wages 1ch.
per cent.
Not word was said about the re-
peated violations OF the labor boards
rulings against the railroad COM
panies, and when Mr.. Stone Of the
engineers attempted to remind the
board Of such violations he was
promptly sat upon. The board
wasn't there to hear complaints
against the railroads.
) Will Not "Coddle Labor.'*~'' :
The members of the labor board
recently visited the White House., and
1t Is believed received instructions
from the president as to the course
they should pursue. While Mr.. Stene
and Mr.. Lee were ION the carpet at
Chicago, President Harding was de- .
1ivering an address at Birmingtam.
Ala, during which he is said to have
announced that he did not intend to
"codd1e and patronize labor" -
When the president went to the
senate to urge the passage of the
bill giving $50o,000,00o to the
railroad companies, who then was1 he
"codd1ing and patronizing?" It surely
was not labor. for since then it has
been announced that every penny of
that s500,000,00O gift is to be used
to- pay dividends to- stockholders.
+. Press Reports Are Biased. =,
The daily napers .ars giving nIsA.Y
little news Of real interest about the
proceedings before the railroad labor
board at Chicago. Big display heads
tell of Inside Politics In the Unions"
but there was nothing in the. story
revealing any inside politics." It
was merely guess or railroad pro.
paganda.
Then when Mr.. Stone proposed that
photographers should not contaminate
the air Of the meeting room with
1ll-smelling gas. resulting from flash
lights, the papers convey the iinpres-
sion that Stone protested against the
activity Of the photographers for
whimsical reasons u =
The first days conference appears
to have accomplished little. The
brotherhood chiefs seem to- fear that
the "cards are stacked against them :"
and they are fighting with their backa
against the wall
- Managers Are Arrogant.
The railway executives were ther.
in numbers with their accustomed ar.
rogance and haughtiness. They will
neither give nor take. They feel 1hta
tney hold the trump card and they
are playing it with vengeance,
When the board announced that
consideration Of another wage cut
could not possibly be considered for
several months, the railway execu-
tiyes, headed by Thomas Dewitt Cuv-
Ter, issued hot statement declaring
tnat they were going ahead immed-
lately to ask, more wage cuts
They seem to be doing everything
within. their power to> goad the men
on 70 strike They believe this il
their opportune time, and they wei
come a walkout convinced that :hey.
will have no trouble in defeating The
unions. e., : :. 800 -
.. Will Listen to Reason. -
No doubt the brotherhood chiefs
would give favorable consideration
to a proposal to accept the 121k per
cent cut, authorized by the railroad
labor board as of July l., provided
assurance is given that there viii bo
no further reductions and no; changes
in rules that they have been so years
In making. %S # E3S
That's where the rub is. The ra.ls
road labor board can not give such
assurance without losing all esemb.
lance Of impartiality. It can only
come from the rail executives, ard
at this writing they stand like atlamant
against any sort Of peace or truce
with. their employees f..Ez
Under such circumstances strike
can not be prevented unless the rail.
road labor unions backing down c6m.
pletely, and this they will not do.
Shop Crafts VIII Stick.
There does not seem to- be any
basis Of fact in the news report that
the shop crafts will not support the
6rotherhoods in a strike. President
Stone has denied that there waas any
break between the shop uniops and
the brotherhoods. S.: .3s; Sd
There is no open break. !" said Mr..
Stone. The situation il very; much
overdrawn. Each organization Il free
to use its own judgement Each orr
eanization preserves its own auto.
nomy.'' = .ss.s .5 ID
Other Brotherhood officials declSEfd
at Cleveland Monday that thsr,Xs viz VII
= strong posstbility IA their judaf
nel,t. that many Of the msmbepl.of
other Failroad labor organizsIone
wouid follow the mennbet
sbigs five" "a the event the, 1eaye las
tservic