New-York tribune., 1921-03-23
Spy System
Is Admitted
By Atterbllry
Ish Charges Pennsylvania
Road Also Maintained Ar
senals, but Question Is
Ruled Out by Board
,ion Voting Plan Scored
i'm Official Alleges Brother
hood Discrimination to
Bring About Closed Shop

aHICAG0, March 22.-Charges that
Ha Pennsylvania Railroad was fighting
II the open shop and that the road
Sx,ntained a spy system before the
I ( - were the subjects Of heated all
~ discussion before the Railroad
f<bor Board to-day.
Brigadier- Genersl W. W. Atterbury,
sv2se-president of the Pennsylvania,
axharged the unions with attempting to
foace the closed shop, and Frank r.
walsh, labor attorney, retaliated with
ssclarations that the Pennsylvania had
Maintained spies and arsenals to take
eare Of labor troubles.
The whole days testimony revolved
sbout General Atterbury's stand that he
eouid negotiate agreements with his
own employees, but that no just and
reasonable agreements applicable to the
entire country could be written by
anybody. He also maintained the right
sf the minority to a voice and charged
the unions with assuming to represent
ell employees and using coercion in at
tempting to make them join the union.
sS0o,eoo Spent on Policing
Attorney Walsh opened his charges
Of a spy system on the Pennsylvania
with statement that 100000 had
been spent in 1914 on the roads police
system. General Atterbury explained
that this amount covered all protective
measures, such as crossing watchmen
and similar employees. Under ques-
tioning. however, he admitted that the
road did maintain a spy system, but
declared he could not say how much
hsd been spent on that department.
When Mr. Walsh asked the witness
If the road did not have "little ar
senals at various points, where YOU
kept guns and revolvers," Chairman r,
NJ Barton halted the examination. on
the ground that it was getting away
from. the inquiry ordered by the board
Several board members Joined in the
subsequent discussion, but O. A. Whar-
ton, labor member. finally insisted that
the examination continue.
Mr.. Walsh then explained that the
rule on discrimination against any en-
ployee because of union affiliation was
the "most important rule there is." His
questions, he said, were intended to
show that "a situation might arise and
had arisen on the Pennsylvania where
disputes between employees and the
road could not be settled, despite Cen
eral Atterbury's statement that all the
men on the road had grown up to-
gether."
introduces Union Bulletin
General Atterbury introduced a union
bulletin which Informed shop craft
employees that there would be "no
seniority provisions for, or positions
provided for any other than
employees and members of the organi-
cations affiliated with the railway en-
ployees' department" of the American
federation of Labor. This bulletin was
direct attempt, General Atterury as
serted, to force non-union men to join
the. union under fear of losing their
seniority rights.
A closed shop, either union or non
VINO said a worker should have the
right to be or not to be a union man.
Allegations against the Pennsylvania
were in turn brought up by Mr.. Walsh
who read copy of letter purported
to have been written by /. W. Geer
general manager of the st. Louis-Co.
lumbus division of the Pennsylvania, in
which supervisory employees were or
dered to "even resort to defamation OF
all labor organizations if necessary" to
obtain certain information. The lette,
asked officials to inquire into the at.
titude of employees regarding proposed
wage reductions and was dated March
10, 1921. General Atterbury declared
he had never heard of the letter, and
after calling Mr.. Geer in st. Louis by
telephone announced that
MIR. Geer denied he had written such a
letter and declared no such letter had
been written with his authority. The
matter would be investigated at once
General Atterbury said.
HOLDS Voting System Unfair
Two votes on piecework taken by the
unions, showing 98 per cent of the EN-.
ployees in favor of the hourly basis OF
pay, were not fair, General Atterbury
said, and declined to accept the unior
figures as fair.
"The open ballot as conducted by
these organizations is not a fair nor
2 decent VOTE" said the witness. "To
have the men vote SO that they may be
lntimidated if they don't vote the way
their officers want them to vote is
not decent way to ask decent man
to vote"
Taking up General Atterbury's mi