Evening star., 1921-10-22
Next Move" Is Made.

|. At the adjournment Thursday Of the
futile conference in Chicago between
| members CT the Railroad Labor Board
and the brotherhood chiefs. one Of the
latter remarked that Its somebody s
next move" The next move" came
! with stunning suddenness yesterday,
when the board assumed Jurisdiction"
Of the dispute between the carriers
and their employees and ordered both
! parties to appear before 1t next We'd
| nesday at a hearing to determine
whether there now are or have been
violations Of the boards decisions: the
summons being accompanied by spe.
cific Instructions that both the railway
corporations and the organizations of
employees maintain the status quo un.
til the hearing and a decision.
This move by the Labor Board con-
verts the threatened strike squarely
into an issue between the organized
railway workers and the United States
government. No decision based on
Wednesdays hearing will be rendered
by the Labor Board prior to October
30, the date upon which the strike
order is to become effective, and il the
strike is permitted to occur pending
such decision the strikers will be in
open defiance Of mandate Of the gov
ernment issued under specific author
ity Of law. 1t thus would be an "out.
law" strike from its beginning.
What the course of the government
will be in case the brotherhoods refuse
to halt the strike remains to be seen.
and it is just as well that no prelim.
mary announcements should be made.
But the railway workers must realize
that the federal powers are by no
means exhausted, and also that by
striking in defiance of the Labor
Boards mandate they will have so
diminished whatever of strength their
position may have had that the fullest
measure of public support will be as.
sured the government In whatever
measures it may adopt to keep the
trains. in operation.
1t is the contention Of the brother
hoods that while they have faithfully
abided by the decision of the Labor
Board the carriers have so persistent
ly violated those decisions that the
strike is necessary to save their unions
from destruction. 1t is intimated
broadly that the IL per cent reduction
in wages ordered by the board would
not have been sufficient to bring on a
strike had 1t not been for the policy
of the carriers in evading and violat-
ing other rulings by the board. II this
contention is made in good faith. the
brotherhoods ought to welcome the
hearing Wednesday, at which it is to
be determined whether the carriers
have been guilty Of such violations. II
the railway managements are guilty
of the offenses charged against them
the board will bring them to account.
not only with disciplinary measures
but at the bar of public opinion. That
the board has the power and the dis
position to do this was evidenced oy
its action of yesterday peremptorily d.
recting a southern road to rescind its
order installing the "open" shop.
From statements of the leaders Of the
railway organizations it was evident
that they planned to justify the strike
on the score of the alleged violations by
the carriers of the decisions Of the La.
bor Board. Now that the tribunal con-
stituted by law for that specific purpose
has summoned both sides to an in
auiry to determine whether these
charges are true, the brotherhoods
must 20 into court in good faith and
try to establish their case there, or
staua convicted of insincerity.