Evening star., 1922-06-30
RAIL SHOPCRAFTS
RESISTING EFFORTS
TO PREVENT STRIKE
Jewell Defies Order to Meet
in Negotiations to Pre-
vent WaIkout.
LABOR BOARD CHAIRMAN
WARNS AGAINST WALKOUT
Declares Public Will Not Stand for
Commerce Check-Sees One
Grievance Justified,
By the Associat ted Press

By the Associated Press
CHICAGO. June 30.-Leaders of the
railroad shop crafts, whose nation
wide walkout is set for 10 am. to-
morrow. today notified the United
states Railroad Labor Board that the
shopmen refused to delay their strike
pending negotiations begun by the
board, which were to be started at
conference at the boards headquar-
ters at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
III the telegram of the Railroad
Labor Board of June 90 (summoning
the shopmen's leaders to the confer
ence) means that the board 10 is
suing an order to the shopmen that
the situation remain in status quo
the letter Of B. NJ Jewell, shopmen's
leader. to the Labor Board. then the
shopmen regard 1t as void because
employment
The letter referred to the United
states circuit court ruling in the
Pennsylvania railroad case. holding
that the decisions of the Railroad
Labor Board are only advisory.
Being an administrative arm of
the government" the letter said, the
board cannot coerce railroad em-
ployes into unacceptable employ
ment The transportation act did
not and cannot grant the Labor Board
authority to coerce railroad employees
into unacceptable employment"
Five minutes before the hearing was
to convene. at o'clock, only one union
q strong representation of railwaymen.
The lone union man was e. H. FItz-
gerald, president Of the clerks.
Assurance that both the railroads and
their employees will abide by the law
and the orders of the United States
which the federal body had pinned Its
hopes of throttling the threatened rail
strike today.
From authoritative sources, II was
learned today that practically all Of
the railroads which have been con-
tracing railroad work to outside firms
a practice declared In violation Of the
law and the boards orders would
enter the oncial investigation by the
eoaFd today ready to announce COM
Already five roads-t11e Pere Mar
quette. Santa Fe, Southern Pacific.
Burlington and Frisco-have an
nounced cancellation Of their con-
tracts.
Board Action Encouraging.
When the board stepped into the
breach yesterday to intervene as an
arm of the government by summoning
before it today officials of the unions
and railroad executives. new hopes
rose over the horizon-hopes that the
board would repeat its successful me-
diation of last October. when it avert
ed nationwide rail strike on the
eve Of the threatened walkout.
In rejecting Jewelrs ultimatim yes
terday the rail executives warned
that a strike would not be against
the railroads, but against the govern
ment OF the United States. because the
men would be striking against orders
by a governmental agency.
The executives summoned to the
conference were from twenty-three
roads charged by employees with lille
gally contracting shopwork. Officials
Of twenty class ! roads who protest.
ed that a strike on their lines over
the contract controversy was unJus-
titled. because they had not followed
the practice of farming out shop
work, also were invited.
OF the three issues upon which
shopmen voted in their strike refer
endum the proposition for a walkout
in protest against the contract sys-
tenn received the heaviest vote. ao-
cording to reports in advance of any
of1cial announcement. The question
Of striking against the wage reduc-
tion was said to have received the
lightest favorable vote. -
Reports from some centers today
were that not all shopmen planned to
respond to the strike call.
Wage reductions effective tomor-
row aggregate approximately 1885,
100000. More than one million rail-
way employees will feel the slash. - &,
Ben w. Hooper, chairman of the
Labor Board. who was credited with
having taken the leadership in avert
ing q threatened railway strike last
October, has issued a statement de-
student of the situation that the rail-
way labor organizations have no just
cause for serious complaint at the
treatment they have received at the
hands Of the federal wage tribunals
during the war period and since.
EmpIoyes Have just Complaint.
"The people of the United States are
sick and tired of having railway
transportation and trafiic periodically
interrupted by controversies between
he said. at was this feeling which
moved Congress to enact the trans
portation act of 1920.
"The right to strike and tie up pri-
vate business is quite different
thln& from any supposed TikHt TO
choke and obstruct the flow of inter.
state commerce in this vast conti-
mental nation. Railway transporta-
tion is not a private business. 1t is es-
sential to the very existence of our
republic and to the individual we'll
being of every citizen.
"I do not hesitate to make the pre-
diction that never again will there be
successful railroad strike of any
considerabl proportions OF Importance
in this county. The people will not
stand for 1t.
1.-THE employees do have on substan-
tial grievance against certain Of the
carriers, and that Is the contracting
of railway employment to so-calied
Independent contractors. This IL not
simply a labor grievance. 1t is q pub
lie grievance. This policy carried to
it's legitimate end destroys the labor
articles of the transportation act,
treats the United States Congress
with contempt. deprives the public
OF lawful protection from railway IA
Dor troubles and grievously imposes
upon the employees"