Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-25
Stone Testimony Cited to
Show That Rail Unions Are
Trying to Force Govern
ment to Buy Roads
BY L. v. MARSHALL
Oeased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Copyright, 1921


Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.-"It is
the sheereSt kind of nonsense to say
that the railroads can be tied up so
tight that they cannot run, because
we know that the railroads are 60
ing to run under some form or
other. If not in any other way, the
government will open up the lines
of communication and run them, be-
cause the people have to live"
This is not the statement of
railway executive, but the words of
Warren S. Stone, grand chief of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
peers, the most powerful of the four
brotherhood groups that took the
lead in ordering the nationwide rail
road strike. Made to a committee
Of congress, it conveys clearly the
underlying principle of the proposed
strike. It was made at the time
that the railroad brotherhoods is
sued a statement in which these
words were used:
''The railroad employees are in no
mood to brook the return Of the
lines to their former control, since
all the plans suggested for this set
Element of the problems, leave labor
essentially where it has stood and
where it is determined not to
stand" -
Thus it is that ever since the
railroads were given back to private
ownership there Nhas been increas.
ing unrest among the labor lead
ers, and a determination to force at
the first favorable opportunity their
demand that the government buy
the railroads and turn the operation
Of, them over to the employees under
what is known as the Plumb plan.
Warren Stone himself has served as
president of the Plumb Plan league.
Strike Long Threatened
His statement quoted at the be-
ginning Of this article clearly re-
fleets the view of the grand chief
that the railway workers, by strike,
or otherwise, cannot effectively stop
the railroads. But what they have
felt all along they could do would
be to force the government once
more into control Of the transporta-
ton systems in the hope that out of
this control would come new agita-
ton and possible success for the
Plumb idea.
For more than two years now the
railway employees have been con-
st -.ntly on the verge of a strike. The
threat of the strike has constantly
been apparent. So much so, in fact,
that ~ persol have been inclin-
ed to -egard the strike. orders now
out as just another gesture on the
part Of the union leaders. The fact
tn g much time was allowed to
elapse between the issuancve of the
orders and the effective date Of the
| walk-Out gave further color to this
surmise.
The constant talk of strike is no
| doubt responsible for the mod OF
many of the railway executives who
have declared their willingness tC
fight the issue out at this time
President Harding and the other of
| ficel~ of the administration have
felt, however, that in such a fight
to the finish the public would be the
sufferer in the long run. They fur
| ther have felt that the railroad Ia
b. board, a government agency
W. ;, inc flouted by both sides anG
| that the government II4,,~- stand be
hind this board to the limit
The moves for the pI posed strike
Of next week are given new inter
est by reference to statements Of
the brotherhood leaders made during
the last two years. When the broth
| efhoods .ecIareu ill., workers Werr
in no mood to brook th1 return OF
tl.o roads to private ownership
Chief Stone was. asked the purpose
and intent of tn declaration.
1.-THE purpose and INTENT" he re
piled, twas that we were bitterly
opposed to the roads being return
ed to the old plan of private owner
ship, with the struggle Of organized
labor to maintain that which it was
| justly entitled to-
| Warns Congress
Mr.. Stone declared it would bt
the purpose of the brotherhoods tt
create public sentiment for the
Plumb plan through every means
at our command, through every
channel open to u.s."
i "Would you seek to devlop i
through a striker" he was asked.
mo; am speaking now only fol
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers, of which I am the execu
tive officer. We have made NJ
threat of any strike for the Plumb
plan. After we have waited a rea
sonable time to see what congress.
does, then if there is no construc
tive plan put forward, think we