The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-10-21
UNIONS MUST
OBEY BOARD
OR DEFY u. S.
Leaders of Five Big Rail Or
CARNATIONS Given Solemn
Warning Not to Strike Until
Decision is Rendered.
CRISIS BEFORE CABINET
(By Associated Press)

10y ASSOCl1ted PreSS)
CHICAGO, Oct. 21.-The United
States railroad labor board today
backed up by all the authority which
the government can place at its dis
posal called the railroads of the coun-
try and the five big unions to appear
here next week and solemnly warned
the unions not to strike until the
board has heard their grievances and
| rendered a decision.
The boards action virtually means
/ that there will be no strike Oct 80,
unless the unions should choose u
| openly defy the government, for it is
hardly possible that a decision viii
! be rendered by the board before that
date.
'The hearing will be open to the
press and public and with more than
| 200 railroads and approximately 80
| unions involved, either directly or in
directly, probably will last several
| days.
| Departments in Accord
| While the transportation act gives
| the board no power to enforce its de
| cisions, it is understood that last week
| conference between President Hard
! ing, members of the board, Attorney
General Daugherty, Secretary of War
| Weeks and the Interstate Comerce
| commission placed all the departments
/ of government in accord as to what
| shall be done if either side moves in
| open defiance of the labor board.
! Should the unions refuse to abide
/ by the boards orders, it has been
| pointed out, the board will, under the
| law, issue a statement to the public
to that effect, and the president and
his advisers can then proceed to take
such action as they consider neces-
sary.
There has been some doubt whether
the board could intervene and summon
| the roads and unions to a hearing
prior to the actual walkout on the
roads, but the board apparently has
evaded that difficulty by its refer
ence to the conference held a week
ago tonight by union leaders and
railway executives
! The board assumes Jurisdiction. be
cause that conference failed to reach
a decision and dispute is pending
| as a result.
CLEVELAND. Oct. 21-President
Lee of the brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen had not received official
notice of the above action at 1870 p.
m. When the despatch was read To
him Mr.. Lee said while / am very
busy here / am perfectly willing to
recognize any order from the board
or any other proper authority that Will
tend to prevent the strike even though
it keeps ME continually travelling out
of Cleveland
=
pear before the railroad labor board
next Wednesday, but if I am ordered
to do so I certainly will be there"
said President Stone, of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers. You
may also say that the other chief ex-
ecutives of the railroad transportation
brotherhoods will attend such a meet
ing and will go anywhere they are or
dered to appear in connection with
settlement of the strike.
Il WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.-Whether
to resort to the war of powers of the
federal government to maintain rail
!, way transportation in event of the
threatened railway strike - under
stood to have been under considera-
tion today by the administration
After the regular cabinet meeting
, il became known that some members
of the presidents official family had
| advised him to use the wartime au-
thority to prevent the threatened
strike from seriously interfering with
the transportation of necessities The
= provision authorizing the president TO
take such steps is a part of the ma.
tional defense act, which continues in
. force until there has been a formal
proclamation of peace
At the same time ii was learned
! that officials urging that course had
gone SO far as to draw up lists OF
men on whom the government could
call in emergency to keep enough
trains running to supply such articles
as food and fuel wherever they are
needed.
Might Operate Roads.
Should the war powers be invoked.
1t is expected that the war department
will be called on to perform most of
the duties thus imposed on the gov
ernment. The degree of control which
would be exercised over the roads
,, would depend on the demands of the
situation and might reach the propor-
ton of direct governmental operation.
Although no officials would discuss
the situation, there were indications
here today that sich an official noti-
fication might be served on the unions
soon, and they decide to disregard the
, suggestion made to them informally
) at the Chicago conference.
Those officials, who have advised
: the president to use his full wnr pow
: ers in an emergency take the view
: that although no penalty is imposed
! for a violation of the railroad labor
boards ruling in regard to a strike.
! the boards power to deliver an edict
, against interruption of commerce is a
power of law, which the federal gov
! ernment should enforce.
They argue that the absence of pen
, atty does not make the law less bind
ing or the obligation of force less pos
i sible.
| HOUSTON, Tex, Oct 21-Thorn-
well Fay, executive officer of the In
ternational and Great Northern on
which strike of railway trainmen has
been set for tomorrow, declared TODAY