Evening star., 1921-03-18
LABOR CHIEFS QUIZ
RAILROAD HEADS

w U1UvVI JILL l0S
Eleven Basic Principles for
Agreements Laid Down.by
Employees.
BY the Ass0cis ted Press
CHICAGO. March 1S-Cross-examna
tion of high railroad officials by labor
leaders began today before the Rail-
road Labor Board. r Dewitt CuyieF.
chairman OF the Railroad Executive
Association: Robert S Bnkerd. his az
sistant: Carl Gray. president OF the
Union Pacific, and w. w. Atterbury,
vice president OF the Pennsylvania lines.
appeared at today's hearing in response
to the requests issued by the board at
the demand Of the labor side.
Frank Walsh. attorney for the labor
unions. conducted the cross-examina :
ton, announcing before 1t started that
he planned to bring out evidence which
would prove the roads had not been
sincere in their dealings with the
unions in the national agreement ques-
ton and that the matter really could
have been settled in conference without
coming to the Labor Board.
Questions Not Permitted.
Judge r. NJ. Barton. chairman of the
board. requested both sides to confine
their statements TO relevant matters
and said that questions dealing with
financial control of the roads or with
matters which belonged under the In
terstate Commerce Commission would
not be permitted.
Mr.. Binkerd was the first witness
called to the stand. In reply to Mr..
Walsh's questions Mr.. Binkerd out
lined the formation of the executive
assc ci alton and its labor committee.
The association is composed OF rep
resentatives of 141 class 1 railroads,
he said. and the labor committee was
organized on November "a, 1919. in re-
sponse to a request from a council OF
executives 1t was formed originally
to deal with the Esch -Cummins act,
he said, and was composed Of eleven
members.
Eleven Principles Laid Down.
Eleven basic principles satisfactory
to labor and on which labor would
be willing to negotiate agreements.
were laid down before the Cnfteo
States Railroad Labor Board today
by b. NJ. JeWeH, pTesiuen.
railway employe department OF the
American Federation of Labor.
The fundamentals, upon which the
national agreements are based con-
sist only Of those elementary prin-
ciples and safeguards which enlight.
ened public opinion has sanctioned
and officially declared necessary to
the we'll being Of the men and women
employed not only in the transporta-
ton industry but in all basic indus
tries" Mr.. Jewell said. -.
Arguments upon the proposal or
the railroad executives to aorogats
the national agreement has occupied
the attention of the board since Janu-
ary 21, when the request was sub
mitted by w. W. Atterbury. vice
president of the Pennsylvania rail-
road.
Fundamentals Of Basis.
The fundamentals which are the
basis of the national agreement are
as follows. Mr.. Jewell said:
THE eight-hour day; proper over
time rates for work in excess of eight
hours; arrangement Of working shifts
for reasonable living arrangements
by employees and their families; rea-
sonable rules for the protection OF
health and safety OF employees: defni-
performed by mechanics and helpers;
formulation OF apprenticeship rules;
four wears apprenticeship require
ment for mechanics: right Of the ma
jority Of each craft to determine what
organization shall represent them:
right to select a committee to handle
grievances: limiting Of craft seniority
TO local shops and not permitting
interchange Of seniority with other
shops or crafts. and right to organize
without discrimination.
"If machinery is to be successfully
oh oH =.
ment of disputes" said Mr.. Jewell.
these fundamental principles are an
absolutely necessary preliminary.
Believes Rail Board Would Favor.
I'VE have no doubt that the Railroad
Labor Board will sanction these fun
damentals. We know the public will
support them when 1t really knows the
truth.
Our reason for summarizing these
fundamentals at this time is to dem
onstrate how easy it would have been.
had the railroads been sincere. to meet
with those who have been selected and
instructed by the rank and file of rail-
road employees to adjust the whole
matter of national agreements.
We'll rounded and smooth running
machinery would now be in operation
and peace on railroads and good will
between management and employees
would prevail Wnere now exists grow
ing distrust. dissension, dissatisfaction
and increasing rumblings, of fast
approaching. costly and vicious con-
fiict.
Even now, if the representatives
of the railroads were sincere in their
attitude and not engaged in a mis-
guided attack on railroad employees. all
questions as to national agreements
and national adjustment boards could
be quickly settled"
HORNELL4, N. T., March 1S.-Clerks
and station employees Of the Erie
railroad, through their representa-
tives here. today rejected the pro-
posal Of the railroad company to re-
duce wages approximately 20 per cent
on April Is. The answer was given
after an extended conference with
Erie executives headed by Robert w.
Parsons, general manager.
This afternoon the Erie officials are
considering a similar proposal with
representatives of the telegraphers,
dispatchers and telephone employees.
T.. j. Hesser of Elmira. general chair
man of the workers grievance COM
mittee. declared that the men could
not accept any wage cut at this time.
and requested that the proposal be sub
mitted to the federal labor board
along with the other questions raised
since the Erie announced it's intention
to reduce wages.