The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-21
RAILROAD BOARD |SI EASING NEW RULES OUT BY P|ECE-MEAL'
Piece Work Problem Is One Matter Over Which En- ployes Much Concerned
 and Dissatisfied
By RALPH BURTON Special Correspondent of The Age-Herald. Copyright, 1921. by The Ago Herald.)

washington, August Z0.-(Special.) Railroad employees despite the de- cision on the shopmen's overtime, ex- pect the new rules of the railroad labor board to be unsatisdactory. They do not like that decision, par tlcularly, for reasons explained in the minority report. Publication of the rules piecemeal is understood to be the boards policy. and the men interpret this as an effort to soften the blow inflicted upon them. They anticipate not only curtailment Of their wartime gains, but even the loss of certain privileges which they held long before the war. The piece work problem is one matter over which they are much concerned, and spokesmen for the men say that the boards rulings generally will not meet approval.
 There are numerous eddies and cross currents in the tide of affairs SC far as the railroad unions are concerned. The men are, to some degree at least, evidently becoming dissa tisfied with their leadership; there Is feeling, played upon skill fully by proponents of the ''one big union" idea, that the union heads are too far removed from the rank and file, and that their policies are not sufficient militant
 .Legalistjc" Pet Phrase
 "Legalistic" is. an expression much in vogue among the railroad men to indicate their opinion of their leaders attitude. The heads of the unions are charged, by a somewhat
  with a desire to act as lawyers, rather than to lead as fighters. in labor controversies. They are so far out of contact with the men, &C., cording to some of their opponents, that it is difficult for members of the rank and file even to arrange conferences with them. There is also the complaint that the union organi- zation is top-heavy; that there are too many salaried officials, and that too large a proportion of any gains in wages goes to support this hier- alchy.
 An important meeting of the shop men is scheduled for tomorrow in Chicago The shopmen have their own grievance in the matter of labor union policies and politics. They contend--or at least some of them do-that the railroads have long made a practice of placating the big four"-the organizations concerned with opera tions-and thereby play ing off these "aristocrats of the rail" against the less strategically placed skopmen. whenever wages are cut, the shopmen say. they suffer most. and they feel that some revision of past policies that will bring about greater solidarity among the rail- road unions is essential. Playing off one craft against another merely re- veaIs the inefficiency in the labor or ganizations, they say, and where tn- efficiency exists, it should be cor rected The Erie situation has brought this whole question very much into the limelight.
 Industrial Unionism
 All these conditions are to some degree tending in the direction of industrial unionism, and for that req son the fact is important that the Grunneau organization-the United Railway Workers, formed at the time ct the outlaw" strikes--is still in business, and apparently going strong. William C. Foster, believed by many to be one of the ablest la Dor leaders in the United States, is SdlQ -lO Oc lhdSA AhNSi SosSo iit eA@Ao unions progress. In Philadelphia particularly campaign in its inter- est is reported under way.
 It is practically inconceivable that the present railroad situation will lead to any general disturbance of transportation conditions. but If the heads of the old line unions are un- able to hold their men in check there might be local upheavals. as there were at the time of the outlaw strikes. Should local strikes de- velop, they would come at an ex- tremely inopportune time for the welfare of the country as whole, l.r September means crop movements on large scale, increased haulage Of coal for winter use and the usual fall resumption of business activity after the summer quiet The out law" strikes disarranged industriai and economio' conditions considerably, even though the number of men wnc went out was comparatively small. and a recurrence of these difficult ties would unquestionably prove very troublesome.
 The railroad employees are also dis satisfied with the attitude of the la Dor members of the wage board. who have done nothing more militant than present a strong minority report to The announcement of the new rul- ings. When the labor members were appointed it had been expected that tLey would resign as protest at anything cordially disapproved by labor, but they apparently do not con template any such action at this time ERNEST NOLEN AND