The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-26
BIRMINGHAM AGEHERALD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2e 1921

i wages could not be handed down be. | fore July, 1922, 1t would like the roads formally to announce postpone
 ment of their plans to seek further l pay cuts, taking the attitude that such an announcement might avert a walkoNt.
 The committee of the Association of Railway Executives which con ferred with the board announced | however, that the carriers would stand pat on their plans to seek new pay cuts on the ground that wages must be reduced before freight rates could be lowered, and that since the
 strike was called technically in pro- test of wage cuts already authorized by the board. there was no necessity 1 for the roads to take other than an inactive part in the strike contro- versy between the board and the unions.
 In it's communication to the roads the board declared that if both sides would consider the delay necessary before wages again could be reduced, they would realize that there was no cause for immediate strife between them over this point
 The unions not taking into con- sideration this delay, were crossing z bridges before coming to them when they called g. strike, the board g statement said.
 1900 Cases Unsettled.
 Of the 2,0OO cases submitted to the board during It's s months existence, 1900 still are unsettled, the state ment said adding that proper CO., operation between the unions and the roads would have prevented many of them coming to the board
 The boards statement members said, was issued tonight, the eve of the strike hearing, to determine if the transportation act is being vio- lated by the union iIl their strike plans, in the hope that 1t would re- suit in representatives on one side pr the other voluntarily offering some plan to clear up the situation.
 formal statement issued by the executive committee declared that the carriers were powerless to take any other position than that of seek ing further wage cuts.
 Railroad executives are not aware of any present dispute between them and their employees" said the state ment in part. The strike vote was taken solely against decision of the labor board reducing wages by l2 per cent last July.
 The railroads have determined to seek to reduce rates and as means to that end to further reduce wages But the carriers have expressly de- cided to proceed in accordance with the law
 The railroads wish it expressly un- derstood that they would deprecate strike, but that their first obligation is to the public to render adequate service at reasonable rates
 The issue is very clear If pres- ent wages are continued rates cannot be lowered. If rates are to be re- duced, present wages cannot be paid. The railroads are powerless to take any other position"
 The boards statement to the car- riers was drawn by Ben Hooper, vice chairman of the board and member of the public group.
 It follows in part;
 Tt Is the judgment of the board that as matter of procedure it would be unwise and as a matter of policy unjust to discontinue the considera- tion of rules and working conditions and enter into prolonged hearing of an application to reduce wages at this time.
 Tt is not within the province of the board to shut the door in the face of either carriers or employees, but . t is within the discretion of the board to fix the order In which 1t will take lp and consider the numerous mat ters submitted to 1t.
 Tt will thus become apparent that he employees, who are protesting against a further wage cut, are cross ng bridges long before they can pos 5ibly get to them, and that carriers l cannot hasten wage reduction by | applying for 1t at this time.
 The board Is not affect | sd by the threat of a strike. t adopted several weeks ago a policy | of making everything secondary to | of rules and working | but even with | he greatest dilisencesit will require | time to complete consid- | ,ration of tho rules.
 Tn view of the above consideration | t is the intention of the board that | he submission of carriers and em- ,loyes on rules and working condI- ions shall be completely disposed of IS to any particular class of employees ,efore a hearing is had on any Ques- ion of wages affecting said class of employees of any carrier covered by decision No. 147 (165 Class A rail- oads)."