The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-26
QUESTION OF RULES
NOW BEFOREBOARD
MUST BE SETTLED
Believe WaIkout Will Be Avert
ed if Roads Will Seek No
Further Wage Cuts.
UNIONS ACTIONS ARE
TOO HASTY SAYS BOARD
Were Crossing Bridges Before
They Came to Them When
They Called Strike.
tsy The Associated Pres )

CHICAGO, Oct. 25.-The United
States Railroad Labor Board today
turned to the railroads in its attempt
to avert the rail strikes scheduled for
October 80, suggesting that the roads
temporarily postpone seeking further
wage reductions because the board S
docket was so crowded that wage de-
cisions of all classes of employees could
not be rendered by July, 1922 The
carriers, however, informed the board
that they were "powerless to take any
other position" than their present one.
In formal statement the board in
formed the carriers that it would not
consider any petitions for wage cuts
until the questions of rules and work
ing conditions now before it We're fully
settled. The board then unofficially
let the carriers know. it was learned,
that. since a ruling on wages for all
classes could not be handed down be-
fore July %, 1922, it would like the
roads formally to announce postpone
ment of their plans to seek further pay
cut taking the attitude that such an
announcement might aver a walkout.
The committee of the Association
OF Railway Executives which conferred
with the board, announced, however,
that the carriers would stand pat on
their plans to seek new pay cuts on
the ground that wages must be re-
dueed before freight rates could be
lowered and that since the strike was
called technically In protest Of wage
cuts already authorized by the board,
there was no necessity for the roads
r,.f ~,
the strike controversy.
In its communication to the roads
the board declared If both sides would
consider the delay necessary before
the wage again could be reduced, they
would realize that there was no cause
for immediate strife between them over
this point.
The unions. not taking into consid-
Grafton this delay, were crossing
bridges before coming to them when
they called a strike, the boards state
ment said.
1t pointed out that the carriers had
urged a quick decision on
the rules and working conditions ques-
tons now before the board and that
it had determined several weeks ago
TO settle this matter before taking up
anything else.
OF the 1000 cases submitted the
board during its eighteen months ex.
istence, 1900 are still unsettled, the
statement said adding that proper CO.
operation between the unions and the
roads would have prevented many of
them coming to the board.
The boards statement, members
said, was issued tonight, the eve Of
the strike hearing, to determine if the
act is being violated by
the union in their strike plans. in the
hope that it would result in represen- |
.atives of one side or the other volun-
Earily offering some plan to clear up |
the crisis. The board itself has nc
definite plan. it was said, and will try
n the hearing merely to bring all the
acts in the case.
A formal statement issued by the |
executives committee declared that
he carriers We're powerless to take
my other position than that of SEEK
ng further wage cuts.