The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-19

CTS for price control. There has been cordial cooperation in many fields, fine revelation of business con science stronger than the temptation to profit by peeD&e's misfortune. There have been instances of flat re- fuSai. I rejoice to make grateful ac- knowledgment to those who preIerIeo to contribute to national welfare rath- CT than profit by nations distress. If it may have your approval l rec ommend immediate provision for a temporary national coal agency, with needed capital, to purchase, sell and distribute coal, which is carried in interstate shipment. I do not mean that all interstate coal shall be han perhaps none will be necessary, but such Federal organization will restore its capital to the pubic treasury and will be the instrum en- tality of guarding the public interest where private conscience is 1nsensi- ble to a public need.
 This proposal does not relate to any possible employment in interstate shipments. Price restraint and equit- able distribution in interstate ship ments is a responsibility of the state own government. In such voluntary activities as have been carried on thus far the Federal government has endeavored to re-establ1sh the author ity and responsibility in the states which was undermined in the neces- sary centralization of authority dur ing the World War.
 The public menace in the coal sit- uation was made more acute and more Serious at the beginning of July by the strike of the federated shop crafts in the railroad serV1ce--a str1ge aga1nst a wage decision made by the Railroad Labor Board, directly affecting ap- proximately 10000 men.
 The justice. of the decision is not for discussion here-
 The decision has been lost night of in subsequent developments. In any aUant if always possible to aD- peal for rehearing and the submission of new evidence, and 1t is always a safe assumption that government agency of adjustment deciding un- justly will be quick to make right More Power for Labor Board. The Railroad Labor Board was ere ated by Congress for the express pur- pose of hearing and deciding disputes | between the carriers and their em-
 ployes, so that no controversy need lead to an interruption in interstate transportation.
 1t was inevitable that many wage | disputes should arise. Wages had
 mounted upward, necessarily and just | ly, during the war upheaval. Like l wise the cost of transportation, sc | that the higher wages might be paid l It was inevitable that some read
 justments should follow. Naturally l these readjustment were resisted The administrative government nelth- CT advocated nor opposed. It only held that the Labor Board was the lawful agency of the government te hear and decide disputes. and it's au- thority must be sustained, as the law | contemplates. This must be so
 whether the carriers or the employef ignore it's decisions. ?
 | Unhappily, a number of decisions of this board had been ignored by the carriers. In only one instance, how ever had a decision, challenged b3
 a carrier, been brought to the atten. tion of the Department of Justice ana
 this was promptly carried to the courts and has recently been sustain
 ed in the Federal Court of Appeals
 The public or the executive had nc knowledge of the ignored decisions 1T
 other cases, because they did not hin
 ures of many of the carriers to abide Iby the decision of the board wer~
 brought to my attention, I could more
 fully appraise the feelings of th' strikers, though they had a remed,
 without seeking to paralyze interstate
 commerce.
 Law Inadequate.
 i The law creating the Railroad La
 Dor Board is inadequate. Contrar!
 to popular impression, it has little ol
 no power to enforce its decisions. I
 can impose no penalties on either
 party disregarding its decisions. I
 cannot halt a strike, and manifest.
 Congress deliberately omitted the en
 actment of compulsory arbitration
 The decisions of the board must b'
 made enforceable and effective agains
 carriers and employees alike. But thu
 law is new and no perfection of it b,
 Congress at this moment could b.
 helpful in the present threatened
 paralysis of. transportation.
 Happily it is always lawful an( .oft-times possible to settle dispute
 outside of court, so, in a desire t.
 serve public welfare, I ventured up on an attempt at mediation.
 I11 -f4 4oia les ,f %1,
 striking employees and the. chairman
 of the Association of Railway Execu tives, writing on the the same day, tentative proposal for settlement , had offended by ignoring the decision of the board and the employees hal
 struck when they had a remedy with
 out the strike, I felt it was best t all to agree to abide faithfully by tn boards decisions, make it a real trib unal of peace in transportation an everybody serve the public.
 The barrier to be mounted wa , the question of seniority. By tn workmen these rights are held to b sacred and unsurrendered by 5 strike
 Preservation of Seniority. By the carriers the preservation C seniority is the weapon of discip1in f on the one hand, and the reward C l faithful employees on the other.  7 that when strikes have been lost sen 3 iority and its advantages have bee e surrendered; when strikes have bee
 settled senority has been restored. 2 In the tentative proposal which = sponsored, it was provided that every t body should go to work, with seniorit = rights unimpaired, that there shoul e be no discrimination by either work = men or carriers against workmen Wh r did or did not strike.
 . realized that the proposal mu! n carry a disappointment to employs if who had inherited promotion by stay x ing Loyalty on the job, and to such ne
 men as had sought jobs looking q permanent employment, but I wante q the fresh start and maintained tran. $ portation service and I appraised tk d disappointment of the few to be le. r. i'm mportant than the impending mi h fortune to the nation
 IT It was not what I would ask O. ), dinarily to be considered or to | n conceded, but at the moment of dee