Arizona republican., 1921-02-19
RAIL EXECUTIVES REFUSE NATIONAL CONFERENCE WITH
 UNION .EMPL0YES
CHICAGO MEETING APPROVES REPORT
 GIVING ROADS RIGHT TO DEAL WITH
 EMPLOYES LOCALLY-DENY PLOT TO DESTROY UNION ORGANIZATIONS

CHICAGO, Feb. 1S-The Association of Railway Executives at it's meeting today unanimously adopted the report of it's labor committee and resolutions refusing to enter into national confer ences suggested by the employees as ;s means of settling differences over wages of Hnskilled labor and working conditions.
 The committee report pointed out that the opposition made by the roads to the national agreements and the po sition taken today-was not to be con strued as an attack on labor organiza- tons themselves
 What we have been trying to do and all that we have been trying to do,'' the report said, s'is to get the op- portun1ty to deal with our own em- ployes so 4s to restore the efficiency of labor on railroads and if possible avoid employment and defer seri- ous wage reductions The leaders of the labor unions, by the position they have taken, have directly raised the issue whether the maintenance and Increase of the power of the national labor unions shall be placed above the public interest in the efficient and eco nomical operation of our transporta- ton system.
 B. M. Jewell, chairman of the rail- way department of the American Fed eration of Labor, asked the railway board Thursday to refer the national agreements and the question of wages of unskilled labor to a national joint conference of railway heads and rem resentatfves of the labor unions After referring to this demand and the state- ment made by Frank P. Walsh before the board that the unions might find It necessary to make ..an earnest ef- Tort to prevent congress enacting into laW pending legislation for the finan- xaf d
 Not Against Labor Unions
 The railroads are thus confronted with this situation: While endeayor- Ing to escape from one set of rigid and uniform rules and working condi- tons Inherited from the war. they are met With new demand which, if ac- quiesced in by the labor board, would deprive individual carriers of direct negotiation with their employees. These demands amount to standardization of the railroads in the interests of Con soIldated labor unions but against the real interests of the employees. Such standardization is absolutely incompat- lble with the efficient and economical operation of the railroads
 Replying to statements by labor leaders that the railroad suggestion to abrogate the national agreements was part or a plot originating in Wall street to break down labor organiza tons, the report said that the record or me proceedings showed that the roads began their opposition imme- dlately after the transportation system was returned to private ownership, when production was at its height. when the demand for labor in all lines exceeded the supply and before the so- called open shop movement in other industries began"
 The record demonstrates" the re port said, that the railways have acted 1 1 .l1..+ their own interest, but also in the in terests of the shippers and the farmers"
 One resolution adopted said that the fundamental principles which should guide the roads in the relations with their employees were:
 Fundamental. Principles T. That the conduct of modern l transportation is a great cooperative enterprise, requiring for it's highest success the honest and loyal co-opera- ton of employer and employe.
 7. That section 301 of the Trans Dortation act requiring every reason able effort and conference and nego- tiation between each carrier and it's own employees to avoid disputes which might result in interruptions to traffic should be complied with in spirit and l letter
 '3. That one of the great advantages 1 Of private over government ownership and operation of railroad lines is the greater adaptabiity of individual roads 1 to the geographical, social, economic and operating conditions which vary greatly with different portions of the country and that for this reason rail roads cannot deal with their employees in national conferences but must act individually.
 "4. That the restoration and main tenance of this variation is essential 1 to private ownership.
 '5. That it is in opposition to sound