Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-05
REPLY TO APPEALS
Continued from page I

The railroad employees are not hav-
ing an opportunity To meet the question
IF wage reduction on its merits said
Ir Iouck They would be perfectly
willing 70 DO this II the railway execu-
igea would submit the question of gen
eral reduction IN wages 70 the Labor
BOARD Tho railway executives are
leading the public to believe that they
have done thla. when. as a matter ~
fnct they have done nothing - the
kind what they have done Is 70 se-
iect q nuSaber of roads which have
been notoriotgiy inaolvent for one rea-
son Or another and have them rnade the
Ia sis for va &c reduction requests to.the
Railr 4 labor Board.
oTh unprecedented situation has
been complicated by General After
hury's carefully staged appearance be
fore the Labor Board Monday. He told
me board that If they would abrogate
the national agreements If the shop
crafts and reduce the wages ~ un-
skilled labor. the railroads would not
ask for "a general reduction IN wages.
This, on the surface. would seem very
sincere and not forward in behalf of
she public interest But 10 those farnii-
iar wlth the situation the real intent is
at onc~ apparent.
General Atterbury knows that tho
railroad brptherhoods. or those employees
who are members of engine and train
crews. arc strongly organized and have
such large resources that they would
put forward every effort 70 see that no
wage reductions should be made. On
the other hand. ne knows equally as
well that many of the shop crafts and
similar organizations have but recently
developed unions and that their powers
81 resistance are comparatively less
1T Is also gveli-known fact IN rail
road circles tthat the opponents %
unionisu. of whom General Atterhury
Is the chief. have found il difficult 10
tolerate the new labor organizations.
The clear purpose Of General After
bury. therefore. obviously was on the
one hand not to arouse the brotherhoods
hy threatened wage reductions while he
was engaged In attempting TO have the
Labor PcarI partially Or wholly de-
stroy the more recently organized
unions.
Chicago. Feb. 5.-Following On the
announcement from Washington last
night that President Wilson would reply
tomorrow - kilograms from union
leaders. asking him to take hand
I in the wage controversy. railroad circles
receive confidential advices from tho
capital that the President had decided
+ 10 accept the advice of Secretary Payne.
who. it is said. IS opposed 20 any inter-
1 ference with the Railway Labor Board.
II was reported that the railroad
executives had received reliable assur-
auce. that Mr. Payne rad advised the
! President - adopt hands or policy
and make it plain 70 both unions and
executives that they would have TO deal
with the Wage Board. The executives
say they are satisfied that they VIII get
a square deal from the board IL Wash
ington does not interfere.
\ charge that the railroads have
raised 4. SIS. .000. 600 fund - combat labor
/ organizations = expected 70 come on,
Monday when the labor representative
make their answer 10 ". w. AtJerbury 5
plea fur abrogation ot the nationa.
agreements
Another charge with which il IS
hoped 20 riddle thc executives case Is
that millions oG dollars worth OF prop
erty was obtained by some railroads
while undGr Government control and
hur{ea in long bitches dug alonG the
right of way According 70 Z. g.
Cradle. Grand President OF the United
brotherhood os Maintenance of Way
Fmpleves and Railroad Shopmen. the
brotherhood men are considering a plan
10 80 treasure hunting in the nigh;
10 prove the location Of the material