Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-03-18
R. R. MEN ASK
CONGRESSIONAL
I INVESTIGATION
President Jewell Wires De-
mand to interstate Com
merce Commission

o.-Railway labor desires a
congressional investigation of the
railroad situation. Senator A. r.
Cummins. chairman OF the Senate
Committee son Interstate Commerce.
was told III a telegram sent Sunday
night by +. NJ. Jewell. president of The
Railway Eiaployes Department Of the
A. F. of L.. and j F. Anderson. vice
president of the Machinists: William
Atkinson. assistant international pres
ident of the Boilermakers; Edward
Tegtmeyer. vice.president of the
Blacksmiths: J. NJ. Burns OF the
Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers.:
Edward Evans of the international
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
and Martin r Ryan. general presi-
dent of the Brotherhood of Railway
Carmen of America.
The telegram reminds Cummins of
Labor's opposition To the return of
the roads to private ownership aud
OF its decision at conference Ia
Washington attended by Representa-
tives of the employees on every Amer
lean railroad to give the Esch-C Cum
Minis bill fair trial once II became
the law of the land
Since that date" says the mes
sage. the railroad employees have
complied with the law, while railroad
arrangements have manifested an i'm
placable purpose to use and abuse the
law. solely to enjoy its benefits and
reject it's burdens"
The hypocrisy of the executives In
denouncing the leaders of the unions
as dictators is countered with the
charge that railroad management
policy is executed through and die
tated by a small national committee.
composed of nine members and the
policy thus arrived at is sought TO be
imposed upon a local craft union OF
employees by the national organization
of road management
"The primary effort of Railroad En-
ployes in their present case before
the Railroad Labor Board is to secure
the fundamental safeguards obviously
accepted by you and other members
|of CQpEress, II framing the. Transpor.
Ef4ix6 4 M n 68 xlcse1Sk ~ ~ ~ kxiz
|of the act the true concept or col
lective bargaining an equality OF
strength at the conference table
agreement to and maintenance of just
and reasonable wages and working
conditions, as the bill of rights OF
railroad workers and the fianl effort
to settle disputes, arising between ths
management and employees by a con
ference between representatives oi
carriers (not carrier) and representa-
tives of employees (not employe). The
duty being imposed upon all carriers
(not carrier) and all employees (noi
employee to exert every reasonable eff
fort and adopt every available means
Ito avoid any interruption to the oper
alton of any one carrier.
I'VE trust. therefore. that you viii
be successful in your efforts to secure
approval for thorough investigation
fof the railroads and that the duly
elected representatives of the thou
sands of railroad employees present to
the committee information now in oui
possession and thus 1t is hoped to as
lsist- congress and the American pub
lie in arriving at a just conclusion as
| to what is wrong with the railroads
and who is responsible for the pres
ent unjustifiable and unnecessary sit
uation with which the American pub
| lie is now confronted