The Washington times., 1922-07-22


- that the strikers
WILLIAM HARD. are turning to
the idea Of labor
action In politics. They say that the
miners are pointing out that they
have been put face TO face with the
possibility OF an arbitration commits.
sion appointed by Mr.. Harding, who.
besides being President. is the head
Of political party. They say shat
the railroad men are pointing out
that they have been put permanently
face to face with q Railroad Labor
Board which by law is appointed by
whatever political leader may be
elected President. They say that the
strikers are asserting that IL labor
matters are going to be settled by
political leaders, II viii be necessary
for labor as labor to 20 into politics
and acquire political influence.
They point to the case Of Mr.. Nc.
Menimen on the Railroad Labor
Board. Mr.. McMenimen is a labor
representative. 1t 10 claimed that
his appointment on the board in fact
deprived a million railroad employees
OF their proper representation.
Under the Esch- -Cummlns Law and
under the rules growing out Of II
there are three labor representatives
on the Railroad Labor Board; and
there three representatives are
recommended for appointment by
the railroad trade unions divided into
three groups, There 10 group one.
consisting Of unions like the
engineess. There Is group two, con.
sisting Of unions like the machinists.
There Is group three, consisting of
unions like the clerks and the track
men.
At a certain moment there was a
representative to be appointed for
group three. Mr.. McMenimen is a
member Of a union in group one.
Group one already had representa-.
tive. 80 has group two. In the
meantime, however, a group four
was set up. consisting Of miscellanc.
Gus smallish unions too unimportant
ever to be counted among the big
standard" unions which compose
groups one. two, and three.
Mr. McMenimen was endorsed and
recommended by a union in Group
Four. He did not belong TO Group
-Four. He belonged to the train
men In Group Two. His appoint
ment gave Group Two q double rep
resentation. 1t > deprived Group
Three-which is very large-of all
representation. Group Two did not
want double representation. It
protested. Group Three wanted It's
own due representation. 1t also.
therefore, protested. These protests
were unavailing.
1t Is claimed by Mr.. McMenimen's
hackers that he was appointed be-
cause he is a very able man. II Is
claimed by a large body OF indig-
nant railroad labor people that he
was appointed because in the elec-
ton OF 1920 he was an able and
active Republican.
This case has become subter-
raneanlv a very celebrated and In.
fluential case. 1t has been used
10 foment disaffection against the
Railroad Labor Board. And II has
been used to illustrate the impor-
tance OF politics in labor matters
today.
A labor leader said today:
II don't criticize the President
for the McMenimen appointment.
Tho President naturally wants to
appoint men In whom his advisers
have confidence. But that IL Just
the point. The bulk OF the labor
movement today has no influence
and no standing with the bulk OF
politicians.
But you watch the labor vote
from now on! 1t started pretty
well in Pennsylvania in the run
that Burke made against Pepper I'm
the Republican primary. Burke was
out and out a labor bloc man and
he got 350,000 votes and carried
Pittsburgh.
we did pretty we'll in Iowa. too.
Compare us there with what we
were two years ago. Two years
ago we were for Brookhart, Of
course, against Cummins; but we
could not carry the towns Cor him
the way he deserved. This year
we did II.
I'VE are sticking together better
now than we ever did before. The
req son IA that the Federal Govern.
mrnt and the State governments
are mixing into labor matters more
than they ever did before II can.
not be helped. Governments can.
not help getting carried into the
settlement Of labor problems: and
then labor cannot help getting car.
ried into politics, Personally, I
don't like Il: but don't see how Il
can ever now be stopped"