The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-19
in UNITED FRONT
Union Leaders to Confer in
Cleveland Today.
All Is Not Harmony in Union
Ranks, Says Report.
LEE TO MEET HIS CHIEFS
o. of r. C. and Switchmen viii
Be Represented.
Look Forward Hopefully to
Meeting Called for Thursday.

cleveland. ~ OCT. ia
ence of leaders of the pig four rail-
road brotherhoods, scheduled for this
morning. was postponed until after
noon owing to the failure of T. c.
Cashen, head of the Switchmen's
union, to arrive in the city. It was
stated that L. e. Sheppard, president
of the Order of Railway Conductors,
would not come on for the meeting,
but that the real war council" of the
union leaders would be held in Chi
cago tomorrow prior to their meeting
with the railway labor board.
Stone today set at rest rumors that
The Pennsylvania lines were not in
.cluded in the strike call. THE Penn
syivania is the fourth group in which
the strike becomes effective -NoVem-
Der So he said. Il am not informed
as to whether any of the organiza lions
affecie ed failed to secure a majority
vote on these lines, but under the
rules CT the brotherhoods, the vote is
AIKEN ty groups and not by railroads,
so that is a matter of relative unin1-
portance. The men will strike on all
Pennsylvania lines unless a settlement
is ma0e."
81 note by the papers," said War
rem S. Stone, head of the Brotherhood
of Engineers, in a statement given out
by him, that the railway labor board
is going to assert its authority. 1t is
strange that it should be discovered
only when labor is trying to better its
condition and is filing q protest against
further wage reductions and that then
and not until then, the United States
! railway labor board has full authority.
In the case of the Missouri & North
| Arkansas in February. the Atlanta,
| Birmingham 6, Atlantic in March. the
Pennsylvania, the Erie and numerous
other roads that could be mentioned,
the railroad officials have simply
flouted the authority of the labor
4 hn1 nd nd FOLD rYala ira1xT
and forcibly that they would not
recognize them and abide by their de-
cisiOnS, and now at this late date, they
commence to talk about asserting their
authority, when labor is interested.
To Find Out About Board.
| eff the press reports are to be be-
| lieved, the administration made a
statement that it now proposes to find
| out whether or not the United States
| labor board is a useless public body.
Why has not the administration taken
this position long ago? The violation
on the part of the railroads has re-
peatedly been brought to the attention
| of the administration and no action
was taken"
| Stones statement was in reply to a
telegram received this morning from
| A. E. Duncan of Atlantic City, who
declared he represented -four com
pantes with aggregate resources of
about s25, 100000 and an annual bust
ness volume of $75.000,000. In the
telegram Duncan declared that he
strongly supported the railroad ex-
| ecutives proposed plan of further
wage and rate reductions, regardless
of the outcome of the threatened
: strike" and added that IAN actual
nationwide strike is more to be de-
| sired than everlasting fear of such
| strike"
"Can your strike" the telegram
ended, ''and see how quickly railway
employees are taught a much needed
lesson and what failure labor unions
are making of their affairs"
Cleveland, Oct. ia strong effort
to present a united front in tomor-
rows conference with the railway la
| Dor beard in Chicago will be made at
today's conference of the big four"
] union leaders at the office of w. c..
Lee, president of the Brotherhood of
Railway Trainmen.
Labor Not in Harmony.
! Indications that all has not been
! harmonious in the ranks of the or
carnations calling a nationwide rail-
road strike effective October 80, was
seen late yesterday, when Lee an
nounced that members of his organi-
zation on the Pennsylvania lines east
/. of Pittsburgh had not voted in favor
of a strike and that the members of
and west of Pittsburgh had voted un-
> favorabIy on the strike proposal.
Lee today summoned his fellow
! leaders to leet with him and efforts
/ will be made to patch up whatever
troubles may have occurred. In this
! connection, it is recalled that the
trainmen's organization conducted
their strike vote independently of the
| other crafts.
1t was said that the Order of Rail-
| way Conductors and the Switchmen's s
| union would be represented at the
! conference, but it was not known
early today whether the president of
these bodies would be here.
Hopeful for Meeting Tomorrow.
/ Meanwhile, union leaders looked
fsrward hopefully to the meeting to-
morrow but said emphatically that all
requirements of the law had been met
III taking the strike vote.
we never order our men TO strike, -
said Zone union leader. I'VE merely
authorize them to quit their positions
on certain date" Union leaders say
they were perfectly familiar with all
the laws. federal and state, bearing on
the proposed walkout and that every
| step had had the approval OF .egal
Il Ta-