Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-09
Federal Board
May Interfere
With Rail Plan
pennsylvania Railroad Seems
Reluctant to Accept Order
Issued Respecting Vote
OF Its Employees.
Bv HOLLAND,

BY HOLLAND.
1t may be that the reluctance OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad company
to accept and act upon the order is
sued by the Federal Railroad Labor
board will direct attention to some
OF the intimations which were con-
tanned in the testimony given to the
senate committee on Interstate COM
,merce early in the hearings before
that committee. 1t seend to be the
View of Mr.. Warfield. who is presi-
dent of the organization whose men,
bers are the owners of some $ll ,000,-
100000 of railroad securities, that
there might be friction or unsatisfac-
tory adjustment of labor conditions
due TO the action of this federal
board. Mr.. Warfield thought there
should be perfect coordination be-
tween this and the other govern
mental board. He furthermore init
mated that it would be the better
part to adopt if the railroads were
permitted to make agreements with
their employees before referring ques-
tons OF this kind to the federal
board.
1t was observed that Senator Cum
Minis and one or two other senator's
who are members of the commit
tee, questioned Mr.. Warfield upon
this part of his testimony apparent
ly with the desire to get good TN
derstanding of what should be the
true relation of the Federal Labor
board to the railroads respecting the
question of wages and kindred mat
ters.
The Pennsylvania Railroad company
after long study perfected plan for CO.
operation between the employees and the
company. The plan resembled In some of
Y xits features the one which was adopted
= by the Standard Oil company of New
fUersey and year or two earlier by the
National Cash Register company of Day
ton, o. The employees were to make free
them In meetings between these repre-
sntativs and the representatives OF the
company. But II was realized that II was
imperative that the representatives OF the
wage earners be untrammeled in any way
In making their choice. This involved
the use Of secret ballot. 1t was with the
secret ballot that the recent elections of
representatives of the men employed by
the Pennsylvania. were conducted. Every
man who voted felt safe because his bal
lot was secret. A plan of this kind has
worked admirably with the Standard Oil
company OF New Jersey and with the Ma
tion Cash register company. The federal
railroad board has no authority over these
two corporations.
A Drastic Order.
But It has authority over the railroads,
and 1t made use Of that authority in or
derng a new election by the Pennsylvania
employees and also ordering that the name
of the voter be written upon his ballot
This Of course win put an end to Sc
crecy 1t might lead to harmful con-
sequences. 1t would expose the voter to
the criticism Of union leaders and 1t would
bring before the eyes of the Pennsylvania
management the names of. the voting en-
ployes and might II the management was
30 disposed. lead to discrimination.
Why the federal labor board has COM
manded new election with an open bal |
lot upon the Pennsylvania lines is a mys-
terry. 1t may lead to the abandonment of |
the Pennsylvania plan. 1t certainly points
to reluctance on the part OF other railroad
companies, some Of which are now con- |
sidering the adoption of the Pennsylvania |
plan, to put a plan Of that kind into |
effect.
The issue thus raised is sure to be /
,Csmmittee on interstate commerce. 1t
fetnishes concrete Illustration OF one
of the points brought out in testimony |
already given before that committee which |
seemed to hint that the federal railroad |
labor board may 80 act as to interfere |
with a satisfactory redJustment OF the re-
lations between the railroad companies Of |
the United States and their employees, 1t
might even result In the enforced 'estam- |
lishment OF the closed shop. |
An Increasing World Trade.
In one Of the articles Of c. w. Barron /
recently published. he reported that some |
pins pins a. are now now laid up throughout tho
world and that Great Britain suffers |
more than any other nation from this
stagnation. This statement was published
report Of the worlds International trade
in the year 1920, measured by dollars,
was printed that trade in the aggregate
500. 600. 100000. But in the closing year
OF the war the value Of that trade was
$5s.oo0,oo0,0oo and was. only $4,000, oo0.-
The wonder is why with this unsus-
pected increase in the worlds fnterna-
tional trade. SO many millions tons or
ships are idle. All the great harbors of
vessels which are anchored in idleness
As almost all the worlds international
vessels, it seems almost paradoxical that
In the year 1920. 500, 600, 600. 600 of trade
was the aggregate, whereas in 1919 there
was only S63, ,000, 900, 900 and yet 10, 000,-
600 tons Of ships are idle.
Is 1t due to an increase in the number
of ships that have been built? Mr.. Bar
ron says that England with 23,ooo.ooo
tons of shipping. which is about 40 per
cen. of the worlds tonnage, is the chief
sufferer. No new orders for ships have
been received by the ship builders in
Great Britain for months.
Aside from this somewhat puzzling sit
uation there Is another feature contained
in the report that the worlds international
trade In 1920. was in the aggregate some
what in excess Of 500, 600. 000. 900. The
year 1920 identifies the beginning of re-
cession in prices and depression In indus
tries and trade. Yet the international
trade for that year was the largest on
record. The world was buying and selling
in the aggregate enormous quantities OF
products and yet industry was depressed. |
fe-avy reduction in prices was under way
and complicated financing was in progress.
Kansas City Live Stock.
Kansas City. Aug. S.-(U. s. Bureau
Of Markets )-Cattie--Reeeipts. 26,500
head: beef steers mostly steady to l.
strong: spots. 10 to 25c higher on bet
ter grades: top yearlings, $101o: best
heavy steers. early. 1915; wintered grass
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