The Washington herald., 1921-03-11
Morrison Contests Pack
ers' Right to Reduce
Wages of 100000.
SEEKS TO PREVENT
SERIES OF STRIKES
Expect Gompers to Con-
fer With President; Rail-
road Dispute Pressing.
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNIsG.

BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Determined TO fight wage redue-
tions by the railroads and Industry
to the last ditch. freely invoking
F: strikes IL necessary. organized labor
carried its first protest directly 70
President Harding yesterday.
Franks Morrison. secretary Of the
American Federation Of Labor. ap-
peared at the White House in the
afternoon. seeking an audience with
the President to present . memo
rsndum contesting the right Of the
Chicago packers to reduce the
wages and increase the hours OF
labor of their 100000 employee
Omaha Message Received
The President had left the execu-
tive once TO receive the Diplomatic
Corps. but Mr.. Morrison left the
memorandum with Secretary Chris
tian who said he would lay IL be-
fore Mr.. Harding in connection with
the Omaha telegram OF the packing
house unions protesting against the
decreed wage cuts. Mr. Christian
said afterward that the Omaha tel
egram reached the White House
yesterday. but had not been consid-
cred by the President
From the White House Mr.. Nor
rison proceeded to the Department
of Labor. where he talked with Sec
retary Davis concerning the initia-
ton OF government mediation be-
tween the packers and their EN-
ployes. Mr.. Davis said mediation
1 - ka sEn
II a strike should be ordered by the
pzscker unions
In his memorandum for the con-
sideration of the President Mr.. Nor
rison asserted that the packers. in
| reducing wages and lengthening
hours of labor, are proceeding in
| open violation of the wartime
agreement to submit all differences
with their employees to arbitration
Considers Pact Elective.
Not only. said Mr. Morrison. was
this agreement to remain in effect
| during the war. but IL was con-
! tinued after the armistice at the
request Of the packers themselves.
As the war has not ended officially.
Mr.. Morrison considers the agree
ment still effective.
From oticial labor sources IL was
Learned that Samuel Gompers. presi-
dent of the American Federation OF
Labor. intends to seek an early con-
ference with President Harding on
measures to halt the wage reduc-
tion movement and avert the series
Of strikes which Mr.. Gompers be-
lieves will be the net result.
| In response to the request Of the
leaders at the Omaha meeting,
President Gompers Of the Fedora
tion of Labor Issued a call today
for a meeting in Chicago next We'd
nesday of all the unions whose
members are employed by the pack
ers in any capacity.
In regard to wage reductions by
the railroads, organized labor is
awaiting developments. With the
New York Central preparing TO fol-
low the example of the Pennsyl-
vania system in cutting salaries and
wages, il is believed here that all
the big railroad companies will take
the same action within the next
few weeks.
$4,000 Employees Dropped.
The carriers already have elimi-
mated $50 900 employees from their
payrolIs since last September and
are agreed that with freight reve-
nues slumping sensationally as
! result Of the business depression
the reduction of wages is impera-
tive IL deficit. IL not bankruptcy.
is TO be avoided.
The railroad brotherhoods and
! the Federation of Labor will ap>
peal to the government il ueces.
sary, to enforce the reference OF
! the wage reduction proposals 10
the Railroad Labor Board in Chi
cago. They noted that the Penn
sylvania Company was careful 10
! state in its announcement Of the
proposed wage cut that il would
proceed in an orderly manner and
in strict accord with the transpor-
tation act"
: This means that the employees can
appeal TO the labor board to inves-
ltigate and report upon the justice
; of the wage reductions. IL the
railroads generally should reduce
wages the labor board would be
lswamped with the appeals.
strike Prediction Made.
There is nothing in the law.
however. prohibiting the railroads
from carrying the wage cuts into
effect either before or during the
Investigation OF the dispute by the
board Labor officials assert that
such action by the roads would
lead TO strikes, in which event the
carriers as well as the striking
employees would violate that section
of the transportation act redusTing
them to exert every reasonable ef-
fort and adopt available means no
avoid any interruption to the op-
Grafton Of any carrier growing out
of any dispute between the carrier
and the employees or subordinate
ofhcials thereof
The first step TO be taken by the
railroads. according TO Information
here. will be TO call the Representa-
tives Of their employees into con-
ference and present the necessity
of the wage cut In an effort 20 OBJ
tain an agreement on the policy.
II this effort fails. the cuts win
be 1put into effect and the dispute