New-York tribune., 1921-02-06
w iison Leaves
Rail ilPayIssue
To L4abor. Board
Atterbury Makes the Charge
Employees Have No Base
for Plea to- Postpone Ac-
sion ON Roads Application
Payne Advises President
Secretary of Interior Is i'm
Favor of Having Decision
Based ON Chicago Hearing
speeiar ntsnntoh 70 rhn rrsh,,ns

CHICAGO. Feb. 5.--President Wilson
will keep hands off in the controversy
raised by the plea of the railroads for
the sbrogation of the wartime wage
agreements, it was learned here to-day
In message dispatched from the
White House by Secretary Tumulty to
4. Dewitt .Cuyler, chairman of the AS,
sociation Of Railway Executives, the
President indicated that his 'snswer to
the appeals made TO him by spokesmen
for both the railroad owners and the
employees would. be non-interferenc
as long as the matter was being con-
sidered by The Railway Labor Board.
1t is said that the Presidents course
was taken on the advice of Secretary
of the Interior Payne, who has opposed
taking the question out of the hands
of the labor board.
Roads Plea Reinforced
When President Wilson's attitude
became known and it became evident
that the question would be decided By
the labor board, leaders for both sides
became active.
E. T. Whittier, chairman of the com.
mittee representing the railroads be.
fore the board, to-day reinforced the
plea of the carriers that they face
bankruptcy unless the wage agreements
are Cancelled, with charges that
spokesmen of the labor group are pur-
posely seeking to delay decision. He
iiled with the board a letter from Brig
sdier General w. Va Atterbury, vice
president Of the Pennsylvania Rail,
road, which said he had been informed
that labor leaders would ask a new
postponement of the question when il
came up again next Monday. This
could not be verified in labor circles
here. 5
Subject Not New
General Atterbury's letter follows:
Il am Informed that Mr.. B. NJ. Jewell
president of the railway employees
department of the American Fedora
ton of Labor, has to-day requested
another postponement of his reply tc
the application which, on behalf of the
railroads, l made to the United States
Railroad Labor Board on January 81
Il wish you would appear before the
board Saturday morning, if possible
and object to such further postpone
ment in the strongest possible terms
The subject matter now before the
Railroad Labor Board is not new tc
Mr.. Jewell and his associates. From
some time In 1913 they embarked upor
the policy Of trying to subject all Of
the railroads, regardless of the differ
ing needs OF the railroads and of the
territories they respectively serve, ts
rigid and uniform rules and working
conditions.
when the national agreements nov
before the Railroad Labor Board were
signed, they represented the attainment
Of an object to which they had Ions
been committed.
Time Not Needed, He Says
When the period of Federal contro
ended and the companies resumed pri
vate operation on March i, 1920, Mr.
Jewell and his associates made immedi
ate demand upon the railroad com
panies to continue the arrangement.
unchanged.
'If there was any justification o.
sound economic reason for the policy
on which these national .,reement:
are based, and if there was any iusti
fcation for the demand that they bt
continued by the railway companies, i
would not require ten days or TIVE
weeks to make public statement o.
what those reasons are.
This letter is not in any sense :
protest against Mr.. Jewell having hi!
day in court, to which he is, Of course
entitled,
81 fully appreciate the desire ant
obligations of the Railroad Labol
Board to deal with both parties to any
dispute in a spirit of the utmost fair
ness.
But if Mr.. Jewell were required &
make his answer on Monday next h,
would have had an entire week il
which to prepare it. Under all thes,
circumstances think we are fully
justified in protesting against any mis-
use Of the right to be heard for tht
purpose or having the effect Of delay
ing the time when the Railroad Labor
Board can with propriety give the re
lief to which the railroads and the pub
lie are entitled"
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