The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-10-20
fBy Yr-THrR A. HOUSTON

Chicago, OCT. zV'--A &c
stAtes Railway Labor Board went on
trial for its Iite today. with itself as
&he trial Judge and the n1inistra ton
OF Washington as the jury
TWO cases came before the board to-
day and It's ability 70 settle them viii
1essrrntne It's future status as an az
ORGY for the administration Of the
National Railway code. Failure to
function EFFICIENTLY IN the present cas-
e.. one OF which IS the most import
ant railway labor crisis IN years. VIII.
Il is believed, lead to virtual abolition
OF the board and the establishment Of
some OF the administrative body 70
deal with railway problems.
u. =. VIEWS ,IEETISG
II was regarded as no secret here
today tina. tho eyes OF the adnlinistra-
4,on at wasnington are turned on the
labor board and the outcome Of its ef-
forts 70 avert the threatened strike of
railroad workers will be awaited with
xcenest interest at the national capt
eal.
At two o'clock this afternoon the
members Of the labor board and the
chiefs OF the Railroad Brotherhoods
will hold a private and executive
Reports that tho conference would be
cubic proved unfounded. It was said
today that the netting would be infor-
v,a1 and the Brotherhood chiefs and the
board members would talk oud tar-
key" 70 each other without regard for
how their statements might appear in
print.
SHOWDOWN" EFFECTED
while admitting that the board lacks
ere authority under the transportation
law which created It 70 enforce any
I decision. members Of the board were
frank in stating they were going to
demand a show down.
/ when the board went into session
with the labor chiefs It faced test
ce its mower with the railroad them
selves. The Pennsylvania road. which
! refused to obey regulations Imposed
/ Nv the board BY calling new cleo
zion for the selection Of shopcrafts
7 resentative1 appeared before the
I board 20 show cause why It should not
os cited for defiance Of the boards
rules.
among labor men assembled here
xhsre was keenest interest in the out
/ come Of the Pennsylvania case. They
declared It would demonstrate the aoil-
stv Of the board TO compel the rail-
\ roads to obey its rules and asserted
that the roads could not be made to
obey the unions certainly could not.
Union men here for conference as
20 their strike attitude planned 70 at
TEND the hearing Of the Pennsylvania
case.
WILL BE No STRIKE
The opinion came from hotn union
rnen ANA from the railroad leaders to-
day that there would be no strike L
was generaly believed the labor board.
although Lacking positive authority
would be fact that the administra.-
tion stands back q It to initiate ne
eottations taat will end IN settle
rnent Of the controversy.
There were few signs today of com
plete. accord between the Unions them
selves Unions affiliated with tbs
AmeAican Federation OF Labor con
tinued to express frank distrust Of the
~Btg -Four" Brotherhoods while lack
OF harmony among the federation IN
ions also appeared.
Officials % the maintenance Of way
ard the railway cle~ks unions declared
sodav they would insist upon an iron
clad agreement with the various shop
crafts unions that # . strike IS called
no settlement would be reached with
out the approval q these organiza-
tiors.
The conference between the FEEDER
alton unions that have been IN prog
ress during the present. week continued
today but for the most part they mark
ed time. with interest centering in the
hearing Of the Pennsylvania case and
the conference OF the brotherhoo ood
chiefs with the labor beard.