Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-04-16
News Item Appearing In The New
York World, March 81. 1921

0''''N'i : S9fiClil Vi IIlE New
York Central Railroad COMPANY
made public last night letter which
he has sent to S. Davies WarfieId
president of the National Railroad Sc
curltIcs Owners Association. in which
ne protests against the action of the
association in inviting the chiefs Of
tour big railroad brotherhoods 10 =
conference on the labor situation. and
making it plain that the association
does not speak for the New York
Central.
Mr. Smiths letter follows:
The newspapers this morning
PRINT the letter dated the 3Oth instant
addressed by you to the brotherhood
.of Locomotive Enginemen and Fire
men, the Brotherhood of Railway
lralnmen and the Order Of Railway
Conductors of America, in which Won
= president Of the Railroad Securj-
i'ts Owners Association, invite rep
feSentatiyes OF those brothcrhoods 10
confer with committee OF your assn
citation for the purpose of CONSIDERING
what should be done in regard to waa-
eS and other matters affecting the
railroads.
ne board of directors of the New
York Central has advised me to adj
wise your association and YOU a, ifs
president that that board AMI the Of
llceTs appointed by it represent the
New York Central and its sto.khold-
ers IN all matters OF management,
including relations between the cor
poratlon and its employees. whether
these relations have to do with wages
working conditions or practices. The
board further directs me to saw that
1t regards as most unfortunate the
attempt which you and the associa-
ton OF which you are president are
apparently making to intervene in
the present labor situation and that
1t cannot recognize any right or pro-
priety i'll your doing so.
Copies of this letter have been
sent to the chiefs of the four brother
hoods SO that they may understand
that neither you nor the Security
Owners Association speaks for the
New York Central or the companies
which it controls in asking for the
conference which you propose to
hold"
A copy of Mr.. Smiths letter was
sent to Warren S. Stone Of the Bro
therhood OF Locomotive Engineers.
w. q. Lee of the Brotherhood of
Railway Trainmen, L. f. Sheppard of
the Order of Railway Conductors of
America, and W. S. Garter OF the
brotherhood of Locomotive Engine
men and Firemen. To each of these
men also this letter was sent:
This mornings newspapers report
that Mr.. S. Davies Warfield, presi-
dent OF the National Association of
Owners of Railroad Securities has in
vited representatives of the four rail
road brotherhOods to confer with a
committee of his association for the
purpose of considering what should
be done in regard to wages and other
matters affecting the railroads.
For your information, and that
you may know that neither Mr..
,Warfield nor the National Associa
ton OF Owners of Railroad Securities
speaks for the New York Central nor
the companies which it controls. I
am enclosing herewith copy of my
letter OF even date to Mr.. Warfield
setting forth the position of these
companies with respect to the confer
ence which proposed to hold with
representatives of the four railroad
brotherhoods.
No Interference Intended
Your assumption that in seeking a
conference with the labor represen
tatives, the most important element
IN the present problem we are pre-
tending to represent you or your
board was quite unwarranted. We
very frankly put our real position be-
fore these organizations and the pub
lie. We think the present truculent
attitude Of some railroad administra-
tons towards the operatives and the
unions great mistake which may
lead to disaster; and that it is time
that all concerned in the properties
should show some concilatory dis
position, at least to the extent of en-
deavoring to get the point of view OF
labor and to seek some method of