The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-20
Z HIGH OFFICIALS
 GIVEN GRUELING
 BY LABOR COUNSEL
Fail to Obtain Any Admission Us Division of Opinion Among Executives on National
 Agreements
By Associated Press

Chicago, March l9.-Attempting to. bring out alleged dissension in the ranks of railway executives over the question two high officials through gruelling ex- animation before the railroad labor board today. Frank P. Walsh, union counsel, failed to obtain any admission, how. ever, that there was any division of opinion on national agreements and. aft-l CT blowing through an eight-hour ses- sion, the board recessed until Monday.
 Carl R. Gray of Omaha. Neb., presi- dent of the Union Pacific system. was on the stand the entire afternoon and. under questioning by MT Walsh, de- tailed his activities as chairman of the now abandoned labor committee of the Association of Railway Executives 1t was in this committee, the union con- tended, that a split developed, and for two days they have been digging into the association records in an effort to show that all the railroads did not favor abro- gation of the national agreements.
 LED FAR AFIELD
 The days questioning at times led the witnesses far afield from the specific question of the justness and reasonable ness of rules and working conditions which the board is to determine in hear ings begun January 10 MT. Walsh was several times interrupted by the char and counsel for the roads, but interpo- sition by some members of the board in- variably allowed the examination to pro ceed.
 After outlining the activities of the labor committee, of which he was chair man, MT. Gray explained the basis ot his majority report on the subject of es- lablishing national boards of adjustment. This report was rejected by the member roads, it was brought out, and minority report of w. w. Atterbury. vice presi- dent of the Pennsylvania, adopted .in- jtead.
 The majority report. MT. Gray said. was presented with the idea that agree ng to national boards, which was urged oy the employees, was the easiest way 10 .ettle disputes.
 NOT RECOMMENDATION
 The report was not a recommenda- .ion." MT. Gray said The maj jority of he committee had an open mind on ahether boards of adjustment should be .lational regional or local The obJec- Ion to regional or local boards was that hey would require too many men.'
 MT. Gray declared under questioning nat he had resigned as chairman of he labor committee when the member oads adopted the minority Atterbury re- port and although continuing as a com nittee member, suggested to T. Dewitt 'uyler, chairman of the association. that MT. Atterbury be appointed as the com littee chairman.
 Upon completing his cross-examina- ..on, Mr. Walsh. turned the witness over 70 James M. Sheehan, counsel for the ailroad committee before the labor ,oard MT. Sheehan asked MT. Gray to ell what he thought about national agreements contending that the line Of questioning thus far had not borne on he justness nor reasonableness of such rules.
 My feeling is that 1t is practically irn- possible to devise rules which operate justly and reasonably over the whole country" said Mr. Gray. II reached this conclusion on my experience as an operating official in many parts of the country and as director of operations under the director general of railroads I had had rules before me which seemed yet technical application pro- duced extraordinarily unusual and un- fair results"
 NO DISAGREEMENT
 Mir. Sheehan asked if there had ever been any disagreement on the continua- tion of national agreements by the rail executives.
 Never" MT. Gray replied.
 Mir. Sheehan then referred to the il fundamental principles laid down as ''iabors bill of rights by union offi- cials yesterday.
 Could any road operate with efficiency with all these rules in effect?" MT. Shee- han asked
 Certain of these rules are vey restrtc- tive,' MT. Gray said Tt is almost im- possible to set up any set of rules which will do justice to all"
 Earlier in the day T. Dewitt Cuyler, chairman of the executives association, was on the stand and maintained throughout his testimony that he had no part in the formation or adoption of any labor policy. MT. Walsh attempted to