Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-23
MANY CHARGES BROUGHT
IN LABOR BOARD HEARING
Aterbury Claims Unions Are Trying to Force Closed
Shop, and Walsh Says Roads Maintain
Arsenas and Spy Systems

Chicago. H.. March 22.-Chargcs
that the Pennsylvania railroad was
fighting for the open shop and that
the road maintained a spy system be-
fore the war were subjects of heated
discussion before the railroad labor
board today.
w. w. Atterbury, vice president of
the road, charged the unions with at
| tempting to force the closed shop,
| and +. P. Walsh, labor attorney. re-
taliated with declarations that ths
Pennsylvania had maintained spies
nd arsenals to take care of labor
and arsenals. The testimony revolved
about Mr.. Atterbury's stand that he
! could negotiate agreements with his
7 own employees but that no justice
and reasonable agreemnts. applicable
| to the entire country, could be writ
| ten. He also maintained the right OF
| the minority of voice and charged
the unions with assuming TO repre-
sent all employees and using coercion
| in attempting to make them join the
union.
Attorney Walsh stated that $780,
900 had been spent in 1914 on the
! roads police system. Mr.. Atterbury
explained that this amount covered
all protective measures such as
crossing watchmen and similar en-
ployes. Under questioning, however.
he admitted that the road did main
tain spy system but declared he
could not say how much had been
spent. Wien Mr.. Walsh asked IL tho
road did not have ''littlc arsenals
where you keep guns and revolvers''
Chairman r. NJ. Barton halted the
examination and observed that he
could mot see what this subject had
to do with national agreement" Sew
eraI board members joined in tho dis
cussion, but C. A. Wharton, labor
member, finally insisted that the cx-
| animation continue.
Mr.. Walsh explained that tho rule
on Determinations against employees
because of union affiliation was the
most important rule" His questions,
he said. wcrc intended to show that
"a situation might arise and had
arisen on tho Pennsylvania where
disputes between employees and the
road could not be settled"
| Mr.. Attcrbury introduced union
bulletin which informed shop craft
lempioycs that there would be nc
seniority provisions or positions pro
vided for any others than employees
and members fof the orga niZations at
filiated with tho railway employees dc
Ipartment of the American Federation
of Labor. This bulletin was an at
tempt. he asserted, to force non-un
ion men to join the union under fcai
of losing their seniority rights.
a closed shop. either union or nom
union. was denounced by the witness
who said a man should have the right
to be. or not to be. n union man.
Allegations against the Pennsyl-
vania were brought up by Mr.. Walsh
who read a copy of n letter purported
to have been written by /. w. Gecr,
general manager OF the st. Louis Col
umbia division of the Pennsylvania,
in which supervisory employees were
ordered to "cven resort to dcfama-
ton OF all labor organizations II ne
ccssary" to obtain certain informa-
ton. The letter asked officials 10 in
quire into the attitude of employees
regarding proposed wages reductions
| and was dated March 10.
Mr.. Atterbury declared he had
never heard of the letter and after
calling Mr.. Goer In St Louis by telc-
! phone. announced that Mr.. Gccr de-
MED he had written such n letter and
declared no such letter had been
written with his authority. The mat
ter would be Investigated at once, Mr..
| Atterbury said.
The letter as read by Mr.. walsh
follows: