Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-23
Pennsy|ya,, kt}ad
 Had Systenl
Fact Was Disclosed at Yester- days Hearing Before the United States Railroad La Dor Board.

Chicago, March 2z-Charges that the Pennsylvania Railroad was tighting for the open shop and that the road main- talned spy system before the war, were the subjects of a heated, all day discus slon before the railroad laDor board to- day.
 Brigadier General W. W. Atterbury. vice president of the PennsyIyania. charged the unions with attempting to force the closed shop, and Frank F. Walsh, labor attorney, retaliated with declarations that the Pennsylvania had maintained spies and arsenals to take care of labor troubles
 The whole days testimony reyolyed aoout General Atterburys stand that he could negotiate agreements with his own employees, but that no just and reason able agreements applicable to the entire country could be written by anybody. He also maintained the right of the minority 10 voice, and charged the unions with assuming to represent all employees and uslng coercion in attempting to make them join the union.
 Attorney Wake opened his charges of spy system on ths PennsyIva nia win a statement that $sOa,000 had Ieen spent Tn 1914 on the roads police system Gen. eral Atterbury explained that this amount covered all protective measures, such as crossing watchmen and similar emp;o5 es Under questioning, howeS CT, ha admitted that the road did maintain a spy system but declared he could not say hcw much had been spent on that department
 Mir. Walsh asked the witness if the -1ad did not have little arsenals at various points, where you kept guns and revolvers" Chairman Barton halted the examination on the ground it was Gettins away from the inquiry ordered by the board. Several board members joined iu the subsequent discussion.
 MT. Walsh then explained that the rule on discrimination against any employe because of union utilization was the "nost important rule there is' His questions he said, were intended to show that "a situation might arise and had arisen or the Pennsylvania where disputes, be. tween employees and the road could no be settled, despite General Atterbury': statement that all the men on the road had grown up together
 General Atterbury introduced a unjor bulletin which informed shop craft cm ployes that there would be no seniorlt, provisions for, or positions provided for any other than employees anC members of the organization affiliated with the railway employees department of the American Federation of Labor This bulletin was direct attempt, Gen l eral Atterbury asserted, to force non union men to join the union under fe4r o losing their, seniority rights.
 Allegations against the. Pennsylvsf nj: were in turn brought up iby' AJr. Wais, l who read a copy of a letter oucported |. I thave been written by I. W. Getr, genera manager of the St. Louis Columbus diyls l ion of the Pennsylvania, in which super 1 visory employees were ordered even to re sort to defamation of all labor organiza | tions if necessary to. obtain certain, in i formation. The letter asked officials t, inquire into the attitude of the employe regarding proposed wage reductions an, was dated March 19, 1921. General At i terbury declared he. had never heard Q
 tho letter and, after calling Mr. Gee
 defi1ed he had written such d letter ant l declared no such letter had been writer
 with his authority. The matter would b
 investigated at once, General Atterbur, said.