The New York herald., 1921-10-22
Rail Workers Ordered Not
to Go Out Before Decision
Following Wednes-
days Meeting.
BOTH SIDES TO APPEAR
Result Likely to Be Given
After October 30. Date
Set for the General
WalkOut.
WILL BE TEST FOR UNIONS
100000 Maintenance of Way
Men and Firemcn Vote to
Quit if Operating En-
ployces Strike.
WILL BE TEST FOR UNIONS
Bv thc Associated Press.

bu INC 1SSOcfUttd Pfc5S.
CHICAGO, Oct. 21.-The Government
moved to-day to prevent a railroad
strike and to enforce obedience by
both unions and roads of DEGREES
OF the United States Railroad Labor
Board, the board formally announc-
ing that it had assumed full jurisdic-
tion in the rail crisis and ordering
the workers not to strike pending n
conference of union heads and rail
chiefs. which it called for Octo.
ber &c.
A decision from this conference
will not be announced until after Oc-
tober 80. the scheduled strike date.
board members said, declaring in
this way walkout would be averted
unless the unions defied the boards
orders not to strike pending ruling.
The action was taken after receipt
from Washington Of information that
every interested branch of the Gov
attempt to settle the rail difficulties,
members declared.
Lee Raiscs = Legal Point.
While both carriers and unions
promptly announced they would COM
ply with the order citing them to
appear before the board next Wednes-
day. w. G.. Lee, president of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen.
one of the organizations which has
called strike, in statement given
out in Cleveland asked by what au-
thority any one could compel a man
to work. and pointed out that the
right to strike had been upheld by the
United States Supreme Court.
At the same time trainmen on the
international and Great Northern, "a
Texas road, prepared TO carry out
their plans to strike tomorrow, and
mems unions, representing 100000 rail
workers. announced here that they
would join the proposed walkout Octo-
ber 80. These two groups are part
of the eleven unions, numbering three
fourths of the nations rail employees
which had voted TO strike but had not
issued strike call.
Besides stepping into the breach be-
tween the carriers and the five unions
which have called strike--the train
men, switchmen, engineers, fircmcn
and conductors-tne labor board suni-
marily ordered the fremont and Gulf
Railroad. a sixty-seyen mile line in
Louisiana. to rcscind it's order in
stalling an open shop. effective at
o'clock tonight.
If the unions choose to carry
through strike plans which the board
asked them to defer. members OF the
board said the next move would have
TO come from Washington. intimating
that to-day's action exhausted their
attempts to furnish the teeth that the
Transportation act. creating the board.
was said by many to lack. At the
same time II was pointed out that TIE
Transportation act gives to the board
power 10 cite the Interested parties fcs.
alleged violation of it's rulings. as II
did to-day in calling Wednesdays con-
ference, but provides no penalties for
violation OF its dccrees
Clash In Their Attitudes.
IN connection with the Labor Board
order to defer strike acticr. :. ~
pointed out that the Big Five" union
chiefs Informed the hoard vosferdny
that the strike could not be postponed.
as no arrangements for such contir-
gcncy had been made. although Il could
be settled.
The boards announcement to-day
came as one OF the most sensational.
developments In the rail crisis since the
Big Five" unions let IL become knovi.
that they were formally sending cut
authorization for strike. IL was Is
sued virtually without warning and at
time when the consensus had beca
that this Governmental agency had mes
an impasse IN its attempts to settle
the crisis when its conference yesiet-
dsy with the union chiefs was ed
journed with the announcement that No
results had been attained. Coming as
the first instance In which tho boaud
so decisively expressed authority which
many railroad and labor men had n1alr-
tanned II did not possess. the boards
action found most of the interested
leaders too astounded to comment.
Local railroad presidents refused o.
night to discuss the pronouncenent
other than TO say that II would be CON
piled with as far as they were con-
cerned. They declared that they hal
not violated the boards decision and