The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-03-24
SAYS V0|D|NG Of
RAIL PACTS VITAL
Atterbury Declares Agreements
Fosted on Roads Unfairly.
BEFORE U. S. LABOR BOARD
Vice President of Pennsylvania Road
. Contends That 1t Is the Most I'M
potant Issue Before the
Country Today.


question before the American people
today more important than the ques-
ton of national agreements between
rail executives and their employees,
Gen. W. w. Atterbury, vice president
Of the Pennsylvania lines, declared
on the witness stand under the ques-
tioning of Frank =. Walsh, general
counsel for the labor group.
The first clash between General At
terbury and MIR. Walsh came when
the Pennsylvania chief was questioned
regarding the dissolution of the labor
committee of the Association OF Rail
road Executives
"Who made the suggestion that the
labor committee be dissolvedY asked
Mr.. Walsh.
Il assume l did" replied General
Atterbury.
"WhyW
"The work of the labor committee
was finished and the matter was to
be continued by Mr.. Writers com
mittee."
"Was there any other reason?"
asked Mr. Walsh.
Atterbury Gets Sarcastic.
Then General Atterbury waxed sar-
vastic.
Il had heard you and Mr.. Jewell
say in very long statements that the
railroads were organized to handle la
Dor matters he replied 1--WE were
in a false situation ana the sooner
we got out of it the better"
"When did you make up your mind
to dissolve the labor committeeY
Il made up my mind shortly after
you and Mr.. Jewell said that the rail
roads were organized nationally to
handle labor matters when | knew
they were not"
What was the necessity Of dissolv-
ing the committee if either Mr. Jewell
or l had made a false statementY
asked Mr.. Walsh.
oh" replied General Atterbury
with a smile IF it offended you was
willing to wipe it OUT
In developing line on the power
exerted by T. Dewitt Cuyer chair
man Of the Association of Rail Execu-
tives, Mr.. Walsh asked the witness if
Mr.. Cuyler selected the persons to
serve on the labor committee.
ut just grew" said General After
bury.
"Oh, just grew like Topsy?" asked
Mr.. Walsh.
Right" retorted General After
bury, who later admitted that the
committee had been appointed by Mr..
Cuyler.
When the letter describing the ac-
ton of the labor committee in recon-
mending the abrogation of national
agreements was quoted General At
terbury declared: "The most impor-
tant thing before the country today is
the wiping out of national agree
ments."
Asks Square Deal"
Following several volleys of rapid
fire questions and answers, General
Atterbury read a prepared statement
to the board in which he made a plea
for a square deal" from labor by
the sanction of the plan to negotiate
directly with ones own employees.
In his statement General Atterbury
summarized the duty" of employees
to their employers as follows
"The employee should not do the
following things: Undermine discip-
line, limit, production, demand pay for
which there is no equivalent produc-
ton, nor force the closed union shop
81 have no fight with organized la
Dor as such,' said General Atterbury
81 have every desire to see its exist
ence healthy and normal. My views
as to what the employer has a right to
expect and the employer should strive
to provide are as follows:
"As steady employment as posi-
BILE, at a good wage; time for recrea-
tom opportunity to elevate himself
in his employment; a voice in deter
mining the rules and regulations I'M
der which he is to work, and the right
TO be or not to be a union man.
But to apply these principles the
dog collar of national agreements
must be removed ! have welcomed
the opportunity to appear before your
board TO give testimony as to the 'rea-
sonableness or unreaSonabeness of
the so-caIled national agreements. No
more serious question confronts the
American people today We have
come to the parting Of the ways
zone road leads to government
ownership, natiOnalism, Plumb-plan-
ism and syndicaIism-the other road
to industrial peace and the continue
tion of that individual initiative, en-
ergy and responsibility which Is pc
cularly American.
"The issue Is. in your hands. The
slgnboard on one road Is National
Agreements the signboarl on the 9th
err road is Negotiate Directly With
Your own Employees"