Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-17
RECESS ASKED
IN HEARING BY
RAILROAD MEN
Jewell Declares Month is
Necessary For Unions to
Prepare Testimony.

Chicago. Feb. IA recess OF one
month in the hearing before the rail-
road labor beard on the application
of railroads for abrogation of the ma
tional agreements, was asked today
by B. M. Jewell, president of the
railway employees department OF the
American Federation Of Labor. Mr..
Jewell said the unions needed until
y Arch IA to prepare their rebuttal
I4bstfmony. #
Chicago Feb. 17.-Immediate ap-.
pncation of the principle of collective
bargaining to the railroad labor sit
uAtion was advocated today before
the federal railroad labor board by
B. '"esss1aS eVIfI, president of tbs railway
! employees department>lof the Ameri-
,, can Federation Of Labor. He said
that only by such means could, the
present controversy be settled and a
!. Makes Proposal.
Suggesting that the roads fight on
the present national agreement is
merely "a smoke screen, Mr.. Jewell
proposed three steps for the board
to take. as follows:
| F;rst-The board to refer the ma
tional agreements to Joint confer
itencc of representatives Of the rail-
I roads and the brotherhoods, the board
! agreeing to pass Immediately upon
/ any differences which may arise from
such negotiations. z'i'
Second--That. the board confer
with the employers and employees on
establishment of boards of adjust
ment as contemplated by the trans
portation act
Third-'That instead of filing a
flood of individual complaints on
wages of unskilled employees. the
American Association of Railway Ex-
ecutives through W. W. Atterbury,
chairman OF its committee on labor.
confer with representatives of the
employees affected.
| Mr.. Jewell said that such program
Of negotiations would establish the
principle of collective bargaining in
the railroad industry; expedite the
cases before the board and prevent the
forts by filing an overwhelming mass
of cases. He pointed out that the
association OF railway executives
would meet here tomorrow and said
the time was opportune for an initia
conference.
;! Mr.. Jewell stressed his argumen,
that the real issue before the board
was whether the fundamental prin.
ciple of collective bargaining was tt
stand or fall and asserted that all dc.
lay in adjusting questions could have
been averted il the employers ha6
either met the union representative:
in. conference or joined with them ir
establishing boards of adjustment. HI
asserted that this procedure was par
of the transportation act and accused
the roads of violating that law BY
;: their alleged failure to adopt thu
methods he advocated.
Says Propaganda is Used
Mr.. Jewell charged that organized
propaganda was being directed at tn,
board at the behest of the roads ans
. added:
"We have been defounded that you
honorable body had not taken judicia
I notice of this propaganda. tn,
chairman referred last Wednesday t,
|, resolutions received from chamber
of commerce and other commercial
organizations.
We consider such efforts as gros
: and inconceivable improprieties. TIL,
$ position of this board is analogous I,
: that of the supreme court of the Unit
: cd States, Any such attempts to At
feet its decisions would be treatet
/ as contempt OF court and incur dras
: tice penalties"
i Mr.. Jewell said that in showing un
5 Willingness TO negotiate on a nationa
I scale, the. roads were "centralfzinl
). their own bargaining power and de
:, centralizing that Of the unions an,
that the employers were trying, t
:, crush the local organisations. espe
t cially those recently formed, and thu
!. weaken the unions.