Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-10
RAIL WORKERS
COMMON SENSE
WILL PREVAIL
And There Will Be Nc
Strike, Belief
Of Lee
Average Labor Leader Recog-
nizes Conditions as They
Exist and Will Not Counte-
nance Walk-out Prediction
of Trainmen Br0therhood's
President

Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. S.-Prediction
that there will be no general strike
on the part of the railroad transpor-
tation brotherhoods was made today
by William G. Lee, president of the
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
Mr.. Lee based his prediction on his
belief that the average labor leader
is not insane to the extent of not
recognizing conditions as they now
exist"
Asked whether he admitted the pos
sibility of strike on any one rail-
road he replied that it was possible,
but he did not admit its probability.
Mr.. Lee returned yesbe rday from
Chicago. having supervised the can
vasS of the strike vote of more than
$50, 900 members against the - per
cent. wage reduction ordered by the
United States Railroad Board, effec-
tive July l.
Mr. Lee declined to be a party to
the Joint strike ballot of the other
brotherhoods sent out early In Sep
TENDER, claiming that nothing could
legally be included in such ballot,
according to the Esch- Cummins law
except the wage reduction of July j,
since the labor board had not made
a decision on other subjects men
toned in the joint ballot. Mr.. Lee
prepared and submitted separate
ballot for the train and yardmen. The
vote returned, he said, was in excess
of IS per cent. in favor of strike,
with the following provision:
We further request that our mem
hership on this uailroad be authorized
to withdraw from service on the same
dav and hour that the membership of
either the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, Order of Railroad Con-
ductors. or Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Firemen. and Enginemen, Of this
road is authorized to stop work, as a
result of the vote taken by such or
CARNATIONS, in connection with the
wage reduction of July l."
/ THE next move is up to the other
/ CrT9 nlIat0nS, MT. Lee uecldIeu
He made public in part a letter of
October 8. addressed to Grand Chief
Warren s Stone of the engineers,
President W. S. Carter of the firemen,
and President l.. F.. Shepperd of the
+ conductors. as follows:
/ This communication is to notify
YOU officially of the action Of the
brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen in
regard to the vote submitted to them
relatives to reduction of pay.
The vote of our membership on
all roads affected by such reduction
and reports filed with me show in
excess of IS per cent. of the entire
membership on all roads voting in
! favor of withdrawing from the ser
vice of their employer rather than
continuing longer under the reduced
rates of pay established by decision
( No. AZ and addenda thereto of the
! United States RAILROAD Labor Board
! II am pledged to grant the author
| ity so requested and permit our mem
/ bership to leave the service on any or
| all of the roads requesting authority
J 10 40 SO whenever i ain OlllCldllN du
viscd by either of you that an auth
orized stoppage of work of the mem
| bership of your organizations has
been authorized on any one or more
of the roads in question.
"The brotherhood's chairmen have
returned home and await further ad
vice. which Of course | will give them
upon receipt of the action taken by
! your organizations. Such chairmen
| will not be reconvened unless there is
occasion for doing so, and I am
! therefore ready to cooperate with
one or all of you to the fullest ex-
tent when called upon by YOU to act. -
/ Mr. Lee said he will not return to
/ Chicago Tuesday next in order to be
present when the ballots of the other
orga nizations have all been counted
and to be on hand for any action
| taken by them.