The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-20
PRESIDENTS
MOVE WILL
HALT TIEUP
Roads and Unions Won't
Dare to Flout Labor
Board.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1921-)
(CnaciaI m Tho rpnG


Washington, Oct. 20.-President
Harding is determined to make the
United States railroad board so i'm
portant that when it hands down a
decision saying either side in a
controversy is wrong, the full
weight of public opinion will bring
the necessary pressure to bear 10
compel obedience to the mandate of
the board.
This was the original idea of
congress in creating the railroad
labor board and the first challenge
to the power of the board has de
yeIopeA. Executive influence has
saved what might otherwise have
been a steady collapse of the whole
structure erected by congress. Mr..
Harding has made it clear that he
wants the railway labor board to
90 ahead and call both sides to
task.
Mr.. Harding's course will un-
doubtedly prevent a strike, for
neither. the railroads nor the labor
leaders would be able to compete
successfully against a formal de-
cision as to who was right or
wrong. Both sides privately will
admit that
Treat Both Sides Alike.
The president feels that the Unit
ed States railroad labor board
should act sternly with any organ
ization which flouts its decisions.
He approves of the summons sent
to the railroad brotherhood chiefs
to come to Chicago to talk things
over informally and makes it clear
that he wishes the board will also
call in promptly officials of the
Pennsylvania railway who recently
defed the decision Of the board.
Mr.. Harding believes the railway
labor board will succeed only if it
plays fair with both sides and that
it must be just as ready TO chas-
tise big institution like the Penn
sylEania railroad as railway
union. Mr. Harding isn't showing
any partiality to either side-he
isn't actually interfering in the de-
tails Of the controversy. He keeps
on pointing out that congress has
created the labor board to settle
disputes and that both sides must
toe the mark and obey that board.
Mr.. Harding has confidence in the
integrity and honesty and fair
mindedness of the board and be-
lieves public opinion will follow its
decisions.
Strike Call Misunderstanding.
Tho rAfhA-hAAd ah5nfc
called a strike in advance of a de-
eision by the board. They took &C
ton largely because the railroads
announced that they would seek a
second cut in wages But there's S
vast difference between a request
FOR a cut and the actual granting OF
the same Mr.. Harding feels that
ihe calling of a strike is largely a
Misunderstanding fear of some
tnlng that may or may not mater
alize. The president is confident
that when the labor board formal
~ calls upon each side to behave,
here will be no more f1outing of
the authority of the railway board.
The labor chiefs have been watch
ing to see whether the labor beard
has any real power behind it. When
they saw the Pennsylvania railroad
ignore the decisions of the board.
they were prompted to do likewise.
The remedy for the situation in the
opinion of the administration is TO
get back to fundamentals make
both sides respect the board. If
that isn't accomplished chaos comes
once more into the railway prob
lem and no improvement will have
been made over the situation in
1916, when the Adamson law was
forced through congress to avert a
strike. But with the railway labor
board made equal in Importance tc
the interstate commerce commits
sion as an executive body. the end
of strikes on American railways
will be in sight. So long as the
Continued on Page Two.)