The Holbrook news., 1921-02-25
Railway Labor Board Refuses to Abrogate the National
 Working Agreement.
IS WITHOUT JURISDICTION
Senate Committees Report Against Naval Holiday and Suspension of miaration-cermans Are Pre-
 pairing Their counter-Pro-
 posaIs on Preparations.
Rx EpwARp W. PIcKARD.

This years first big labor fight, that between the railways and the rall workers, really opened last week when the national railroad labor board took up the appeal of the rail executives for immediate abrogation of the na- tionaI working agreements. The near ing drew to Chicago the heavy guns of both the executives and the rail- way brotherhoods. The board decided against the railways, which, however, have not abandoned the fight.
 AS was foreseen, President Wilson declined to intervene, though asked to by both sides, stating he would not take any action which would inter fere with the orderly procedure of the interstate commerce commission or the railway labor board"
 Frank P. Walsh, counsel for the rail unions, and B. M. Jewell, head of their department of the American Fedora tion of Labor, are leading the fight of the brotherhoOds. Their first ac- tion was to question the jurisdiction of the labor board in this matter, on the ground that a question involving the financial ability of the roads to pay is within the province of the in- terstate commerce commission, the la Dor board being limited by law to questions of wages and working con- ditions. This point the board decided was well taken
 Chairman Barlow said the board for several months had been considering the national working agreement, clause by clause, to determine whether any parts were unreasonable, and he urged that it be mot further interrupted by the introduction of unwarranted demands by either party"
 The second part of the general argu- ment of Mir. Walsh was that the move by the railroad executives is part of a Wall street conspiracy" to kill the power of the unions, establish the open shop, crush collective bargaining and reduce wages.
 Twelve New York banks" said MT. Walsh. through interlocking direc- torates, control 92 class I roads, which have 80 per cent of the class l mile age and 76 per cent of the total rail- road mileage of the United States. In the hearings of the Lockwood commit tee in New York the testimony re- vealed a movement on the part of certain interests to crush unions and establish the 'Open shop It is di- rected first at the two basic indus tries of building construction and transportation"
 A great many persons not directly concerned in the present controversy believe with Mir. Walsh that there is a concerted movement to establish the open shop, and, likewise, a great many persons are in sympathy with such a movement. These persons see the impending conflict as a fight not be- tween labor and capital, but between tyrannical labor unions and industry Most of them have suffered and are suffering from the intolerance of both organized labor and organized capital, and they are very tired of 1t.
 What railroad men said was one of the most far reaching decisions made by the labor board was handed down last week, the ruling being that it was the duty of the Boston and Maine railroad to confer with the committees of the American Federation of Labor over the grievances of its workers. Employees said the decision upheld the right of independent organizations of railway workers to present their grievances to road officials. In the Boston and Maine case it was said conference was refused because those