The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-11-17
w. G. LEE FORESAW
STRIKE FAILURE
FROM THE FIRST
Letter Written Six Days Before
Rail Strike Declared Off
Shows His Position


Cleveland, Ohio. Nov. Nv. C.
lee, president of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen, has authorized
the publication of a letter written by
lin to the general chairman of the
Railroad Trainmen on one of the lead
ing western railroads, indicating his
position on the railroad strike recent
~ averted.
The letter was written on October
81, six days before the strike was de
clared off. 1t read as follows:
Dear Sir and Brother:
Those who were in attendance at
: the Chicago meeting last July. if hon
est enough to tell the truth. well re-
member my pleading with them not
to take strike vote on the question
Of the IL per cent reduction of July l.,
but, instead, to pass the strongest
possible resolution against such re-
ductiOn and make it clear in such res
olution that any further invasion up
on our rates or working conditions
would mean strike. None of the
organizations executives however,
would accept that position, and our
own general chairmen had been fec.
on raw meat apparently to such an
extent that nothing but the restora-
ton of that IL per cent reduction
would satisfy them
Il could not make myself believe
then, and surely not at this time, that
railroad men could take the position
that they would not accept any reduc-
ton whatever, although all other
classes of labor were being required
to accept one or more reductions full
ly equal to the II per cent designated
in the boards decision, No 147.
"You know | have been cursed by
members of the Brotherhood in the
past because I would not join with
the radicals and eat 'em alive but
instead, tried to follow a conserva-
tive course. Because of such unjust
treatment by those | was attempting
to help, or, rather, save, | concluded
last July (when | failed to get any
conservative help from those at the
Chicago meetings of the five organi-
) zations) to change my policy and pass
the responsibility heretofore used in
connection with proposed strikes to
our general committeemen-to do
whatever such committeeman desired
not in violation of our Brotherhood
laws. Therefore, the general chair
men, in my opinion, are entirely re-
Z sponsible for whatever result follows
this proposed strike. If we as an or
ganiZation win and the U. S. Rail-
road Labor Board restore the ~ per
cent reduction defined in Decision No
147, the credit is all theirs If we lose.
| know in advance they will say the
fault is Bill Lees
Il have no hesitancy in saying that
in my entire lifetime | have never
known of more unanimous feeling
against us by the business and labor
world than now exists, and to me it
is the greatest sin ever committed
by so-called labor leaders to approve
of their membership committing sui
eide, as | believe is bound to occur if
the strike goes on as scheduled, al
though to disapprove it in the face of
the action taken by our membership
and committees would mean annihil-
alton of the leader, in so far as his
future with his organization was con.
cerned.
Il had hoped that after 90 years
membership in the Brotherhood.
should never live to see the day that
the membership | represented would
become so insane as to demand the
right to commit suicide-at a time
, when more men are out of employ
ment and more men on short time in
this country than ever before known
The railroad companies most certain
ly want the strike to go on, because
they know it will likely mean the end
of our organizations. They fully real
ize there are at least two, if not three.
men for every job that will be made
vacant by the strike, and while | am
sure you know that physically and
financially | can afford to have the
strike go on as well as, or better per-
haps than any member employed on
the railroads, it is most depressing to
me to proceed as we are, with the
knowledge that if some miracle is not
performed to stop the strike, we can
expect a large percentage of our