The Washington herald., 1921-09-28
Union Head Will Ask Ac-
ton by. Grievance
Committees.
HOPES TO AVERT
LARGE WALKOUT
Sanctions Likely to, Be
Governed by. Local
Conditions.

CHICAGO, Sept. 27,-The Brotheg-
hood of Railway Trainmen, 1sS,O0e
strong. have voted overwhelmingly
to strike because of wage reduc-
uons. il was officially announced
here late today by Vice President
James Murdock.
But it was learned from official
sources that the organization has no
intention of calling a general strike
OF It's members and that tying up of
any railroad system anywhere in the
country will be up to the general
grievance committee of the brother
hood on that particular road.
while there may be walkouts on
some lines, it was learned, it will
be only in cases where the grievance
committee on those lines have sane
toned il, and II is understood that
when President w G. Lee, of the
brotherhood of Railway Trainmen,
arrives here tomorrow he will in
struct~ the general chairman of each
railroad. representing his organiZa-
uon. that sane judgment must be
used in sanctioning strikes,
VIII Try to Prevent strike.
President Lee will face 4 difficult
situation when ne takes charge
here tomorrow. Re gave the men
permission to strike if the vote was
in favor of a walkout Now Lee.
who broke with the three other
powerful railroad brotherhoods and
the Switchmen's Union Of North
America when he gave pe-nession
to the men to strike, will make
every effort to get the grievance
committees representing his organ
izauon on each railroad TO refuse to
sanction a walkOut, it was learned.
He will meet the general chairman
To address them here tomorrow anc
ask. according to information. that
action be taken to have each griev-
ance committee refuse to sanction
walkouts.
Vice President Murdoch explained
the modus operandi OF these 'griev-
snce committees"
Acts on All Disputes.
There Is a local grievance com
mittee on each road at each terminus,
consisting of three members" he
said. "One of the three is chair
man. So there may be 125 griev-
ance committee chairmen on the
Pennsylvania, sixty on the Illinois
Central, and so on. They act on
all disputes on their particular road
and II there are to be any strikes
they can call them now because
they have official authority for do
ing so.
$50 in this case there might be
a trainmen's strike on the New
York Central and Iiot on the South
To ,f,ofF
tees"
Another high official dispelled the
bugaboo of a general strike after
the Brotherhoods of engineers.
conductors, and firemen have had
their parleys, which start Monday.
Could Not Tie Up All Roads.
We are all reasonable men," he
said. We could not. tie up the
railroads Of, this country Q because
fl would mean absolute paralysis
Of the whole country. But we
could call an effective strike by
making every part of the country
know to some extent what we are
fighting for. A strike on the
southern Pacific from the Pacific
coast east would let the South
know. A strike on the Chicago and
Northwestern, the Milwaukee. or
the Illinois Central would affect
the central West. A walkOut on
the Baltimore and Ohio. between
Baltimore and Philadelphia and
on the New Haven and Boston and
Maine would hit New England. -.
But none of these strikes would
absolutely cut babies from needed
milk nor the people from needed
.unplies. If there is a strike II will
he done in this way. and 1 am not
saving there is going to be one"
Admits Lee Made Error.
william n. Doak, vice president
of the trainmen in charge of the
southwestern lines, stated that all
Of the roads he represents have
voted solidly for a strike.
II is tacitly admitted among the
,raInuen officials that President
Lee made an error when he allowed
the men to vote on a strike with
mis- permission to walkout IL the
vote was favorable TO it. depen-i
dent only on the decisions, of the
local grievances committees. That
he will attempt to rectify this error
when he addresses the general
chairmen Is the general opinion.