The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-11-22
RAILROAD OFFICER
: TALKS ON STRIKE

erhood of Railroad Trainmen, car
ries a recitation of facts which
have hitherto been unpublished and
these are of interest to the public
generally because they show keen
sense of appreciation on the part
of the leader of the brotherhocds
of sentiment throughout the coun-
try antagonistic to the strike pro-
posal of his organization. This
statement is one of the frankest to
come from labor leader, being an
: admission of the. futility of oppos-
ing inevitable economic law.
Mr.. Lees statement was issued
on October 81, six days in advance
of the abandonment of strike plans,
and was addressed to the general
chairman of the railway trainmen
on one of the leading western rail-
roads. 1t follows:
"Those who were in attendance
at the Chicago meeting last July, if
honest enough to tell the truth, will
remember my pleading with them
not to take a strike vote on the
sauestion Of the IL per cent cut of
July /, but instead to pass the
strongest possible resolution against
such a reduction and make it clear
in the resolution that any further
inroads upon our rates or working
conditions would mean strike.
None of the organizations execu-
tives, however, would accept the po-
:sition, and our own local chairmen
had been fed on raw meat" APP
parently to such an extent that
nothing but the restoration of that
IL per cent reduction would satisfy
them.
Others Submitting
81 could not make myself believe
then, and surely not at this time,
that railroad men could take the po-
sition that they would not accept
any reduction whatever, although
all other classes of labor were being
required 70 accept one or more re-
auctions fully equal to the IL per
cent designated by the boards de-
cision No. lat.
"You know | have been cursed
by members of the brotherhood in
the past because | would not join
with the radicals and eat 'em
alive but, instead, tried to follow
conservative course. Because of
ssuch unjust treatment by those
was attempting to help, or, rather,
save, concluded last July-when
failed to get any conservative help
from those at the Chicago meeting
of the Ave organizations-to change
my policy and pass the response
bility heretofore used in connection
with proposed strikes to our general
committeemen-to do whatever
such committeeman desired, not in
violation of our brotherhood's laws.
Assigns Responsibility
Therefore, the general chair
men, in my opinion, are entirely
responsible for whatever result fol-
lows this proposed strike. If we, as
an organization, win and make the
United States labor board restore
the IL Ter cent reduction defined in
decision No. l47, the credit Is all
theirs. II we lose, know in ad-
vance they will say the fault is
Bill Lees.
~ have no hesitancy in saying
that in my entire lifetime ! have
never known of a more unanimous
feeling against US by the business
and labor world than now exists,
and to me it is the greatest sin ever
committed by so-called labor leaders
to approve Of their membership
committing suicide, as | believe is
bound to occur if the strike goes on
as scheduled, although to disapprove
it in the face of the action taken
by our membership and committees
would mean humiliation of the
leader, in so far as his future with
his organization was concerned.
Attitude Suicidal
81 had hoped after twenty-three
years of membership in the brother
hood, ] should never live to see the
day that the membership repre-
scented would become so insane az
70 demand the right to commit sui
cide-at a time when more men are
out Of employment and more men
on short time IA this country than
ever before known. The railroad
companies most certainly want the
strike to go on, because they know
It will likely mean the end of our
organizations. They fully realize
there are at least two, II not three,
men for every job that will be made
vacant by the strike, and while
am sure you know that physically
and financially / can afford to have