The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-10-26
RAILROADS ASKED TO
POSTPONE REDUCTIONS
Will Determine If Transportation Act
Is Being Violated by Unions
CHICAGO HEARING TODAY
Carriers Declare That They Will Take
No Additional Action on Cut

road Labor Board today turned to
the railroads in it's attempt to avert
the rail strike scheduled for October
80, suggesting that the roads tempo
rarily postpone seeking further wage
reductions because the boards docket
was so crowded that a wage decision
for all classes of employees could not
be rendered before July, 1922. The
carriers, however, informed the board
that they were "powerless to take
any other position" than their pres
ent one.
In formal statement the board in.
formed the carriers that it would not
consider any petitions for wage cuts
until the questions of rules and
working conditions, now before it,
were fully settled The board then
unofficially let the carriers know, it
was learned that since ruling on
wages for all classes could not be
handed down before July, 1922, it
would like the roads formally to an
nounce the postponement of their
plans to seek further pay cuts. TAX
ing the attitude that such an an
nouncement might avert walk out.
The committee Of the association of
railway executives which conferred
with the board, announced, however,
that the carriers would stand pat on
their plans to seek new pay cuts on
the ground that wages must be re-
duced before freight rates could be
lowered and that since the strike was
called technically in protest of wage
cuts already authorized by the board,
there was no necessity for the roads
to take other than an inactive part
in the strike controversy.
Tonight board members in discuss
ing the statement, said that the
boart. might take up new procedure
in rendering decisions, handling down
groups of employees instead of one
decision covering all of them.
1t was pointed out by one member
that the statement left to the board
the right to render wage decision
as the rules and working conditions
for that class had been settled, but
that this procedure would stretch
into months before all classes could
be considered.
In this connection, union leaders de-
clared that there were several organi-
cations, nOticcably the conductors,
which had no rules questions before
the board and that consequently a
petition for lower wages for them
might be taken up by the board imme-
dIately without the board in any way
going back on its statement
The statement was noC to be looked
on IN any way as an ultimatum to the
railroads, board members said, but was
presented in the hope that it might
bring action from the roads which
would tend toward averting the
threatened walkout.
In it's communication to the roads
the board declared that if both sides
would consider the delay necessary
before wages again could be reduced
they would realize that there was no
cause for immediate strife between
them over this point.
The unions, not talking into consid-
GRAFTON as delay, were crossing
bridges before coming to them when
they called a strike, the boards state
ment said.
at pointed out that the carriers had
been repeatedly urging quick deci
sion of the rules and working cond-
tion questions now before the board
and that it had determined several
weeks ago to settle this matter before
taking up anything else"
Or the 200 cases submitted to the
board during it's eighteen months cx-
istcnce 1900 still are unsettled, the
statement said, adding that proper CO.
operation between the unions and the
roads would have prevented MANY of
them coming to the board.
The boards statement, members
sald, was issued tonight, the eve of the
strike hearing, to determine if the
Transportation Act is being violated
by the union in their strike plan, in
the hope that it would in representa-
tvcs Of one side or the other voun-
tarlly Offering some plan to clear up
the crisis. The board itself has no def
mite plan, it was said, and will try
IN the hearing merely to bring out all
the facts in the case
formal statement issued by the
executives committee declared that
the carriers were poWcrlcSs to take
any other position than that of seeking
further wage cuts.
Cleveland, Oct. 25.--In a statement
today, w. S. Carter, president Of the
brotherhood of Locomotive Fircmen
and EDglncmcn, declared that "if press
rcoprtS are to be taken at their face
value, the whole power Of the adj
mlnlStratiOn is going to be used to
defeat the strike Of the employees
Mr.. Carter was director Of the division
Of labor Of the United States railroad
administration during entire federal
control Of railroads.
"Thcir seems to be no disposition
on the part Of anyone to bring about
an equitable adjustment and here is
where the matter stands" President