Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1921-10-19
WHY THE STRIKE
WAS AUTHORIZED
Mr.. Stone Gives Interesting Facts In
Railway Controversy

Nl-E' ELAND, Oct. I8-Chief of
the Locomotive Engineers, Stone is
sued the following statement in regard
to the railroad controversy from his
office here today, giving the reasons
why the strike of the railway organ
izations was authorized. Mr.. Stone
says in part:
When the Transportation act Of
l910 became a law 1t was hoped bv
the employees that all disputes would
be adjusted, and decisions rendered
by the board would be complied with
by the carriers and employees. In
stead of complying with thedecisions
OF the labor board the railroads soon
began to disregard or flout it decisions
Flagrant cases of this being the ac-
ton of the Atlanta, Birmingham and
Atlantic the Erie, the Pennsylvania
railroad and many other cases that
can be cited.
Statement Made Wilson
1T is well known and admitted bv
all that the railway men were the last
to receive any increase during the war
period. During August 1919 the bro
therhood of Locomotive Engineers
submitted to President Wilson state
ment setting forth that a decrease in
the cost of the necessities of life was
necessary or an increase in wages was
imperative
From that time on the question of
wages was discussed on different oc-
casions and was finally submitted to
the labor board. In July, 1920 the
board handed down decision which,
based on all the facts they declared
was just and equitable. and further
stated that their conclusions were ar
rived at after long consideration of all
the facts as evidenced by tha testi-
mony before that board.
Later Mr.. Atterbury of the Penn
sylvania railroad, appeared before the
board and in spectacular presenta-
ton demanded an immediate reduc-
ton of the wages of all railroad en-
ployees notwithstanding the carriers
had been granted material increase
in freight and passenger rates in or
der to meet the increased wages that
were granted by the board. This was
denied on technical grounds because
the carriers had not properly created
dispute in accordance with the tram
portation act.
Creating Dispute
The railroads then began serving no.
tice on all their employees demand
ing reductions in pay thereby legally
creating dispute which was referred
to the labor board resulting in a IL
per cent reduction as of July /, 1921.
To further aggravate the situation,
Immediately following this meeting a
great number of railroads began serv-
ing notice on their employees that
they would revise schedule and take
from them the rules governing their
service that had been in effect from
ten to thirty years. Said rules were
obtained partly by the efforts of the
United States Board of Mediation or
Board of Arbitration, of which the
neutral members were appointed by
the representatives of the government
The majority of such rules were the
result of negotiations across the table
with the representatives of the organ
izations and the managers of the in
dividual railroads acknowledged to be
fair and equitable.
A conference of all general chairmen
was arranged to be held in the month
of July in the city of Chicago. The
result of said conference was to in
struct the executives of the organiza-
tons to meet the executives of the rail-
roads some time prior to September
lst. for the purpose of trying to bring
about an amicable adjustment. This
was done and committee of railroad
executives were met in the east. south
east and western territories, their an
swers all being similar and denying
any kind of conciliatory measures.
Strike Vote
Following the refusal of the exec
utlves of the railways to enter into any
agreement with the executives of the
organizations, there was nothing left
to do but refer the matter to a ref
erendum vote of all the workers which
were employed on the railroad and to
submit their decision in the matter
In October the representatives of the
workers were convened in Chicago.
and canvass of the vote was made,
which indicated that ga per cent plus
were in favor of withdrawing from the
service. Such condition was never
known before in the history of rail-s.
road labor board, and no doubt was
caused by the arrogant selfish attitude
of the railroad executives together
with their declination to be a party
to any kind of conciliatory terms
After the vote had been canvassed
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