Evening star., 1921-10-19
President to Make
Word of Board
Respected.
FLOUTING ORDERS
TO BRING ACTION
Must Stand Ready to
Chastise Those 1g-
noring Decisions.
ny DAVID LAWRENCE.

HI DAv VIII Lh w AkA|SsSA~s
President Harding has determined
to make the United States Railroad
Board so important a body that when
IL hands down decision saying
Either side in a controversy is wrong
The full weight of public opinion Will
bring the necessary pressure to pear
10 compel obedience to the mandate
of the board.
This was the original idea or Con-
rrcss in creating the Railroad LABOR
BEARD. and the first challenge to the
mower of the board has developed.
Executive influence has saved Wnat
might otherwise have been a steaus
roIlapse of the whole structure erect
ed by Congress. MIR. HARDING I'd
made It clear that he wants the tsali ,
road Labor Board to- go ahead ana
call both sides to task
Will Prevent Strike.
Mr.. Hardings course will unques-
tionably prevent s!rihe, ioi sa.a
tnc railroads nor the LABOR ieaueIs
would be able to compete successfully
against Il formal decision as 10 VINO
was right or wrong. Both sldes pr'-
>ately will admit that.
The President feels that the onlteu
:trruly with any organization whlch
1inuts it's decisions. He approves D!
1nr summons sent to the ralllOao
brotherhood chiefs to come to Sni-
ca-o to talk things over fn1ormauy
and makes it clear that he wishes the
board will also call in promptly ON
Gals of the Pennsylvania railroad,
who recently defied the decision OF the
board.
President Not Interfering.
Mr. Harding believes the Railway
Labor Eoard will succeed only II IL
plays fair with both sides ana tnat J..
must be just as ready to chastfse a
big institution like the Pennsylvania
railroad as u railway union. Mr..
1Ts riding isn't showing any partiality
10 either side-he isn't actually IN
1erfering in the details of the contro-
rersy. He keeps on pointing out
that Congress has created the Labor
Board to settle disputes and that ooh
sides must toe the mark and obey
that board. Mr.. Harding has conf
and fair-mindednes of the board and
believes. public opinion will follow
its decisions.
The railway brotherhood chiefs call
ed strike in advance OF a decislon
ly because the railroads announced
that they would seek a second cut in
wages. But there's vast diherence
between a request for cut and the
actual granting of the same. Mr.
Harding feels that the calling of a
strike is largely misunderstanding
"a fear Of something that may or
may not materialize. The President Is
confident that when the Labor Board
formally calls upon each side to be-
have there will be no more houting
of its authority.
Labor Chiefs Watching.
The labor chiefs have been watch
ing to see whether the Labor Board
had any real power behind 1t. When
they saw the Pennsylvania railroad
ignore the decisions of the board
they were prompted to do likewise.
The remedy for the situation, in the
get back to fundamentals-to make
both sides respect the board.
If that isn't accomplished. chaos
comes once more into the railway
problem and no Improvement will
have been made over the situation
in 1916, when the Adamson law was
forced through Congress to avert
strike. But with the Railway Labor
Board made equal in Importance to
1he Interstate Commerce Commission
as an executive body. the end of
strikes on American railways will be
in sight. So long as the board re-
CARDS itself as a judicial body and
acts without favor to either side, the
Its word as final and strikes or lock-
outs in defiance of the boards decision
will not be deemed practicable by
either side.
Majority Will Rule.
Even If the board should issue a
majority and minority report, the
views of the majority will carry suf-
flcient weight to swing public opin-
ion. Railway employees on the one
land would not as body defy such
a. report any more than stockholders
10 pursue policy which Is against
The verdict of the railway board. The
rulings of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the Supreme Court
Of the United States are accepted
without challenge and it is the aim
of the admi mist ration to add to the
moral influence of the Railway Labor
Board so that it's word will carry just
as far.
incidentally. there's reduction in
House cont say so officially, but every
sign points to it. There are some
cases pending>in the Interstate Com
,nerce Commission involving rates on
hardwood lumber, grain and grain
products. which may remave a large
hart of the 25 per cent increase grant
ed last year.
The railroads have made voluntary
cuts In handling export grain. live
stock, oil and building materials. and
St is estimated that practically all OF
ine $500. 100000 wage cut will be on
set by freight rate reductions within
the next fortnight. Then 1t Will be
question of whether the increased IN
come OF the railroads. due to low
Sreight rates, will enable them to take
care of their operating expenses, or
whether further wage cuts are neces-
eary in order that the roads may be
qua at profit to their stockholders.
Earnings Picking Up.
Earnings of the roads have picked
Gp in recent months. and one set OF
ftatisticians is busy showing how the
.ut in wages made it possible. while
another set argues that the increased
business the roads are doing really Is
responsible for the better financial
showing.
When rates are further reduced 1t
IS expected that disinterested analysis
will have no trouble in finding out
which claim Is correct" Meanwhile.
e. precedent has been established by
president Harding in bringing the
T.. S. Railroad Labor Board into con.
ycrence Informally with the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. It
&reaks the ice and makes 1t possible
- have further conferences.
kCopyright, 192l)