Evening star., 1921-10-26
Ry the Associated Press.

Ry the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, October 26.-Ben w
Hooper, member of the United States
Railroad Labor Board, conducting the
hearing called by the board to inves-
tigate the threatened railroad strike
today called w. G. Lee, president OF
the trainmen, to the stand and ques-
toned him concerning the strike or
der.
Lee told how the strike vote was
taken and the walkout ordered. He
told the board he Withdrew from the
Joint meeting of the other unions be-
cause their strike resolution covered
Questions he did not think were IN
volved.
II took the position" Lee said, that
for once in my life. at least, L wahteo
TO tell the truth to my men apout
the facts as l saw them.
Lee read into the,fecord circular
letter sent to hiSEmen WHiie tuey
were voting on the strike in whlcn
he pointed out that wages must come
down and that 4.000,OO0 Unemployed
men were seeking JOBS.
Insisted on Clear Issue.
Mr. Lee declared the differences be-
tween himself and the other unions
arose when he insisted on clean
cut statement" pointing out tnere
was no possibility of reopenlns ne
rotiations with the roads using the
strike vote as club, because the
Labor Board and not the roaos' he''
OF drred the wage cut.
At II o'clock the board recessed un,
til o'clock. Lee hdu not eoihPie'S"
his statement
Judge Barton predicted the arm 8
would be completed by lhursudS
moon. ,,.s
Rail labor chiefs of the conductors;
engineers, trainmen. switchmen anu
f,reueu. together with the hVe gem
eraI chairmen of the labor organl-
yations on each railroad. appeared to
answer a summons under tWoxsee-
'tions of the transportation act NaI-
road executives from all of the prln-
ripal roads also were present as the
result of request by the ooaru.
Moved by Threat of Tie-up.
In citing the labor groups to ap-
Dear, Chairman K. NJ. Barton SAID IN
nis op.ning statement that the board
was principally moved by threat
.ned interruption to commerce..
Chairman Barton made it plain that
the inquiry was being conducted en-
tireIy on the initiative of the board,
neither the railroads nor the en-
ployes about to strike belng con-
cerned in bringing the case pe1ore
the federal railroad tribunal.
The INQUIRY. .,s the ne essd eha,1'''iW an two
provisions of the transportation
act One. section 313 of the
act, which provides. when the board
has reason to believe that any de-
cision by the board has been Nlo-
lated by any carrier or employe or
suhordinate official or organization
thereof, It may, on its own motion,
after due notice and nearing 10 an
persons directly interested In. such
OF In "a nj
opinion such violation has occurred
and make public it's decision in such
manner as it may determine.
."The other is the provision of sec
ton. 307, the emergency provision.
which authorizes the board to act
when a dispute is likely to substan-
tally interrupt commerce.
Limits of Inquiry.
."The board wishes all parties to
thoroughly understand the limits OF
this inquiry and conform thereto.
The inquiry will be conducted
Wholly under the directions of the
hoard The merits of the
wage reduction decision. in opposl-
tion to which the employees are
5acision of the board are not at this
time in question and no decision in
rngard thereto will be in order. The
question is simply. has there peen
"a violation or Is one TN iedleHcu'
"On the second subject OF inquiry
&c 70 what other causes exist that
are causing or are liable to cause an
interruption of traffic, the inquiry
will be on what either side has done
or is doing or threatening to do that
NAV lead to a stoppage of work, and,
narticularly, the nature OF the -eX-
change of proposals that occurred
between the railway executives and
The executives of the labor organiza-
lions at their conference in Chicago
october IA, 1921, and what disputes
arc the occasion of the threatened in
1errupt;on. The board will further
inouire as to what. If any, wage re-
auctions have been made or are in
contemplation by carriers without
first securing the approval of this
board in a legal way"
Hooper Place. in Charge.
Vice Chairman Ben w. Hooper, as
head of the boards judiciary COM
mittee, was placed in charge of the
inquiry on behalf of the board. The
chair announced. however. that inde-
pendent cross-eXamination might be
made by any individual member of
the board or any representative of
either the employees or the railroads
directly involved in the proceedings.
John M. Glenn. secretary of the Illi-
Nois Manufacturers Association. arose
desired the names of shippers repre-
sented. Chairman Barton replied that
~ .nued on Page 2. Column A.