Evening star., 1921-03-22
WA[SHQUEST|0NS
ATTERbURY AGAIN
Standards of Labor CIassi-
fication Before Railroad
Labor Board.
By the ASsocia ted Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, March 22-W. w. After
bury. vice president of the Pennsyl-
vania lines, again was on the witness
stand today. when Frank P. Walsh,
labor attorney, began the fourth day
of his cross s-questioning of railroad
officials before the Railroad Labor
Board.
Mr.. Walsh inquired concerning
standards of classification in railroad
labor, asking the Pennsylvania Of
fetal If he thought the labor board
could establish such standards.
1t can't establish any such stand
ards to cover the country" Mr.. After
bury said. He said he thought it
could establish standards for one
road. such as the Pennsylvania, and
admitted the power of the board un-
der the law to establish wage stand
ards.
mo board can establish a inst
wage standard that is national IN
scope, however" he added.
Mr.. Atterbury's testimony yester-
day, when he turned the tables and
cross-examined MIR. Walsh, using
poker playing and cartoons as illus
trations of his points. brought a
crowd to today's hearing.
Verbal SparrinE.
Mr.. Walsh and Mr.. Atterbury spent
most of the morning session in YER
bal sparring the Pennsylvania vice
president always beginning ques-
tionS of his own whenever Mr.. Waish
seemed to be attempting to corner
him. To most of Mr.. Walsh's conten-
tions concerning business of working
conditions he replied that that
might be true, and undoubtedly could
be settled in negotiations between in
dividual roads and the employees.
Taking into consideration the i'm
mense mileage Of the roads and their
S,500,000 employees, would not the fact
dispute before this board in a year
indicate quiet and rest on the rail-
roads," asked Mr.. Walsh.
mo-" answered Mr.. Atterbury. 'Sfhat
only indicates that the people in
Washington making decisions gave
the men every blessed thing they
asked for"
Would Go to Labor Board.
After Gen. Atterbury had said that
if classifcations of work were de-
manded by the men the matter would
have to go to the labor board. pro-
vided his plan Of individual negotia-
tion failed. Mr.. Walsh asked why not
place the matter before the board
in the first placer
foment trouble" said Gen. Atterbury.
''If the board starts in to write rules.
it won't be pouring oil on troubled
waters, but will be throwing rocks in
the water"
Mr.. Walsh took up many railroad
labor rules in what seemed to be an
attempt to get Gen. Atterbury to ad-
nit that some basic rule or principle
of the national agreement was just,
but the witness always countered
either by denying the rules justness
or saying that ''it might be put into
effect on the Pennsylvania by indi-
vidual negotiation"
Gen. Atterbury's Stand.
Brig. Gen. w. W. Atterbury took an
emphatic stand against national agree
ments, which he termed prolific of
cross-examination before the Railroad
Labor Board yesterday. Questioning
by Mr.. Walsh brought replies from
Gen. Atterbury, and time and again the
witness replied by cross-questioning
The gist Of Gen. Atterbury's testi-
mony may be summarized thus:
Rules should be negotiated between
officials of the roads and their own en-
ployes. across the conference table.
like a game Of poker"
The eight-hour day could not be
universally applied to all employees.
especially train service men, because
the Lord didn't build the railroads that
way"
The establishment of the hourly
basis OF shop work has destroyed the
energy and initiative Of shop employees
and abolition of piece work would be
the "most dreadful thing that could
happen to railroad employees"
National rules constituted a dog col
lar around the necks of the railroads,
which would be free to negotiate their
own rules with their own employees
"the minute the board cuts the dog
collar"
Refers to Cartoon.
Gen. Atterbury was referring to a
cartoon from a labor paper represent
ing national gareements as a collar on
a dog labeled Railroads." and led by
Labor" Two charges against union
officials were laid down by the general
in the climax of the days testimony
He declared that although the national
agreements had the object Of employ
ing more men, he was "a better friend
of my men than any of the union men
at this table" The declaration
whether Gen. Atterbury represented
the section hands of his road.
mo, but you do not. Those men are
not represented here" the general re-
pied.
Shortly afterward. in a discussion of
specific rules. Gen, ,Atterbury demanded
that the rules be interpreted clearly and
words defined. Mr.. Walsh said he
thought the ordinary meaning Of words
applied. This brought quick retort
from the witness:
Yes, but when it comes to devising
means and methods OF getting money
out of a rule, you gentlemen are the
most expert Of any ! know"
These rules appear very clear to me,
Gen. Atterbury," Mr.. Walsh said.
That's because you don't know any
thing about them," the witness replied.
"Dog Collar" Placed ON Roads.
In his testimony Gen. Atterbury said
that he had always been able to nego-