New-York tribune., 1921-10-22
Brotherhood Chiefs Are
Warned to Maintain
Status Quo Until New
Hearing on Wednesday
Every Government
Agency Backs Move
Louisiana Road Directed
to Rescind Open Shop
Order; Unions Gain


CHICAGO, Oct. 81 (By The Asso-
ciated Press) The government to-
day moved 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-
ton in the rail crisis and ordering
the workers not to strike, pending a
conference of union heads and rail-
chiefs which it called for October 20.
Full Federal Backing
A decision from this conference
will not be announced until after
October 30, the scheduled strike date,
board members said, declaring that
in this way walk.out on the two
hundred railroads of the country
would be averted unless the thirty
unions. involved defied the boards
orders not to strike pending ruling.
The action was taken following
receipt from Washington of informa-
tlon that every interested branch Of
the government would back the
board in it's attempts to settle the
rail difficulties, members declared.
While both carriers and unions
promptly announced they would comply
with the order citing them to appear
before the board next wednesday, w.
G. Lee, president Of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen, one Of the organi-
cations which have. called strike, in
statement given put in Cleveland,
asked by what authority any one could
compelaa man to work and pointed out
that the right to strike had been up-
held by the United STATES Supreme
Court.
Open Shop Order Rescindetl
At the same time trainmca en- ths
international Great Northern,
Texas road, prepared to carry ont their
plans to strike tomorrow, and the
maintenance of way and the fremen's
unions, representing 100000 rail work
ers, announced hers shat they would
JOIN the proposed wall. out October 80.
These two groups are part OF the eleven
unions Numbering three fcurrhs of tho
nations rail employees, which had
voted TO strike. but had ao- issued q
strike call
Besides stepping into the breach he
tween the carriers and the FIVE unions
which have called a strike the train
men, the swltchmen, the engineers, the
nremeA and the conductors--the Labor
Board summarily ordered the fremont
4 Gulf Railroad, a sixty-seven-
ilne IN Louisiana, to rescind its order
installing an open shop effective at
O'clock tonight.
If the Naions choose TO carry
through 81. IKE plans which the board
asked them to defer. members Of the
board said that the next move would
have to come from Washington, inti-
mating that to-day's action exhausted
their attempts to furnish the teeth
which the transportation act. creating
the board was said by many to lack.
At the same time it was pointed out
that the transportation act gives the
board power to cite the interested
parties for alleged violation of its rul-
ngs, as it did to-day in calling next
Wednesdays conference, but provides
no penalties fer violating its DEGREES.
Action Without Warning
in connection with the Labor Board
order to defer strike action, it was
pointed out the "big FIVE" union chiefs
Yesterday informed the board that the
strike could not be postponed, as no
arrangements fer such contingency
had been made, although it could be
settled.
The boards announcement to-day
~ al
DEVELOPMENTS in the rail crisis since
the 'big ave-. unions let it become
known that they were formally sending
out authorization for a strike. 1t was
issued virtually without warning and
at a time when the consensus had been
that this governmental agency had met
an inipasse in its attempts to settle
the crisis when its conference yester-
day with union chiefs was adjourned
with the announcement that no results
had been attained. Coming as the first
instance where the board so decisively
expressed authority which many rail-
road and labor men had maintained it
did not possess, the boards action
found most of the interested leaders
too astounded to comment.
Rail Presidents to Comply
Tonight local railroad presidents
refused to discuss the pronouncement
other than to say that it would DO
complied with so far as they were CON
cerned. They declared that they had
not violated the boards decision and
took the attitude that the citation
really was directed at the unions alone.
saying that the carriers were called in
simply because IL was necessary to
have both sides in the decision repre-
sented.
Action of the United Brotherhood OF
Maintenance of Way Employees and Of
the International Brotherhood of Sta
tionary Firemen and Oilers, in an
ncuncinG that they would join tho
walkout was looked on by labor lead.
ers especially significant, one chief
processing TO see in the announcement
possible healing of any breaks which
might have existed between the eleven
standard unions which had voted for
strike without calling one and the
"big fve." Leaders of several %
these organizations had announced
that they would attempt to keep their