South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-06-19
IMPENDING RAIL
STRIKE APPEARS
TO BE CERTAIN
Union Heads Notify Labor
Board Action Will Come
if Vote Demands Ii.
MINERS OFFER To JOIN
Lewis Offers Miners Aid in
Joint Action-Leaders to
Meet Tuesday.

CINCINNATI, o., June 1S.-(By
A P)-Formal notice was served
Sunday night on the railroad labor
board by the chiefs of ten railroad
unions OF their intention to go
through with a strike in event one is
authorized by the 1925. 900 workers
whose wages are TO be reduced on
July /. under orders of the board.
Coupled apparently with the ac
zion of the railroad union leaders
was a statement that the railroad
workers have no alternative except
TO fight" by John l.. Lewis. leader
OF the striking coal miners who will
meet with the rail union leaders
Tuesday 10 consider joint strike &C
ton. He also pledged the miners
aid TO the rail men but declined TO
state definitely what aid might result
from joint action.
The notice sent to the railroad
board, in the form of letter. reiter-
ated the rail union leaders attitude
on the threatened walkout. which
was first definitely asserted in their
statement issued here Thursday
night The previous statement also
included the declaration that an
Overwhelming vote Gas beng cast
for the walkout In their letter TO
the board the rail men said: When
there occurs a miscarriage of justice
OF such colossal and permanent in
jury TO railway labor as your deci-
sions Will bring about, the only
means Of remedy which the injured
parties have is TO refuse 10 accept
your decisions. This procedure Is
perfectly legal While it should only
be used as a last resort, Cur MEM
bership may decide ii to be fully
justified by your denial of element
airy and long established rights and
by the seriousness OIL the situation
which you have created. Your deci-
sions have been submitted to strike
vote of our gnembers and we are
awaiting the results Of their action
Should our mem bers decide not to
accept your decision, or in other
words to strike. we shall sanction
their action advise you accordingly"
Lewis Pledges Aid
Mr. Lewis. the miners chief. while
asserting unwillingness to discuss
the outcome of the coming confer
ence with the rail men, said the
miners will do anything that is
helpful and constructive for the rail-
road men and for the miners them
selves"
Il am convinced declared Mr..
Lewis, that the railroad men and
the rank and file OF the railroad
organizations frankly recognize the
necessity of making a fight regard
crUences and in that
! hzse they will have the whole-soulef
and active cooperation OF the mine
workers. The naylre of that coope-
ration depends upon circumstances
| but the help of the mine workers
will not be of small consequence"
In making wage reductions the
board was told that it had estab-
/ lished the principle that Just
wages must await the complete sat-
! isfaction of railroad ownership IN
\ the matter of rehabilitation and
/ profits Further the board was
/ told that in it's last decision cutting
the wages of clerks. signal men and
stationary firemen that it had stat
/ ed as a basis OF action the theory
that labor cannot be completely
( freed from the economic laws
4 which likewise affect the earnings
/ OF capital"
Clearly this means nothing more
or less" the letter said, than the
! treatment of labor as a commodity
! whose value fluctuates according to
/ the demand for and the supply OF
! labor"
As the result OF the boards de-
cisiion. the letter said. the lowest
priced employees have been degrad-
i ed below a level of bare animal sub
sistence and the earning capacity
(
| LCnntin,rnd On M E-a TNUnA