The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-22
ATTERBURY STAND
 STRONGLY AGAINST
 RAIL AGREEMENTS
Prolific of Misunderstanding esDecIares In Heated AL
 Day CroSS-Exami- nation
By Associated Press

A Atterbury. vice president of the Pennsyl- vania railroad and former chairman of the railway executives labor commit tee, took an emphatic stand against na- tioi al agreements, which he termed prolific of Misunderstanding" in a heated all-day crcss-examination before the railroad labor board today
 Questioning by Frank P. Walsh, coun- sel for the unions, brought vigorous re- plies from General Atterbury, and time and again the witnesses replied by cross questioning his interrogator. Charges that the union leaders did not really rep resent the employees and that national rules were used Co procure employment for more men and extract money from the railroads on technicalities were hurled stand against all rules of national ap- plication,
 The gist of General Atterburys testi- mony today may be summarized thus
 CYST OF TESTIMONY
 Rules should be negotiated between officials of the roads and their own em- ployes across the conference table like game of poker"
 The e.ght-hour day could not be uni- versally applied to all employees, espe- cially certain service men. because the Lord didn't build the railroads that way. v The establishment of the hourly. basis of shop work has destroyed the energy and initiative of shop employees and a hffi nf ha fha most dreadful thing that could happen to railroad employees"
 National rules constituted a dog collar around the necks of the railroads, which would he free to negotiate their own rules with their own employees 'the min ute the board cuts the dog collar"
 General Atterbury was referring to cartoon from labor paper represent ing national agreements as collar on dog labelel railroads" and led by labor. Two charges against union of ficials were laid down by the general in the climax of the days testimony. He declared that, although the national agreements had the object of employing more men, he was "a better friend or my men than any of the union men at this table,
 The declaration brought from Mir Walsh a query whether General Alter bury represented the section hands or ms road
 NOT REPRESENTED
 NO, but you do not. Those men are not represented here" the general re- piled.
 Shortly afterward, in a discussion or s,ecific rules, General Atterbury de- manded that the rules be interpreteu clearly and words defined. MT. Walsh said he thought the ordinary meaning or words applied. This brought a quick retort from the witness;
 ''Yes, hut when it comes to oeVisins means and methods of getting money oul cf a rule. you gentlemen are 'he ino'' expert of any know"
 ",rhese rules appear very clear to me. General Atterbury' MT. Walsh sald.
 That's because you don't know anything about them" the witness re- piled. i,
 General Atterbury m a i n ta throughout the day that no sei or rules could be negotiated, which would have national application ana declared the only satisfactory way or agreeing on rules was by dlrect con ference between the ofrlces Who would apply the rules and the empioy- es whom they would affect.
 EMPLOYES THROTTLED
  said that he had always been able to negotiate with his employees, but that the national agreements had placed a | dog collar on the roads and that 1t l was impossible to confer with the | Pennsylvania employees because or the | of union officials. lie | read from several American Fedora tion of Labor bulletins which, he said. | "throttled the employees.
 General Atterbury read statement l earlier in the day which declared the American people had reached the l parting of the ways
 "No. more serious question confronts us today" he said. one road leads to | ownership, nationaliza- ] tion.. Plumb plansm and syndicatism | the other road to industrial peace 1 and the continuation of that individual | initiative energy and responsibility which is peculiarly American. The | S.xn board on one road Is national | on the other road nego- tiate directly with your own em- ployes.'"
 General Atterbury declared he had | no fight with organized labor as such | and said that within ''reaspnabie | limits. it Is healthy spur to bring l about fair conditions" He enumerated | six points which. he said. the em- ploye had a right to expect and the employer should provide as steady | as possible; good wage. time for recreation; opportunity to | elevate himself in his employment; a 1 voice in determining the rules and | regulations under which he works; the | right to be, or not to be, a union man.