The Washington herald., 1922-07-25

CHICA GO, July 24.-In the face
of additional curtailment Of rail-
road service. and almost general
reports that the strike of shopmen
is continuing effective. railroad ex-
ecutives prepared today for
lengthy battle to oust the Amer
lean Federation of Labor unions
and to replace them with company
organizations.
The meeting of Eastern execu-
tives today to outline this program
is to be followed by meetings OF
Western. Southern, and Southwest
ern executives. il is learned for the
purpose of bringing about the open
shop throughout the country.
This Is the big issue in the strike
despite the wage and working con-
ditions controversies, in the opin-
ion of observers. and is the climax
of a fight that dates back to the
return of the railroads to private
control.
Plan Company Unions.
One of the severest criticisms OF
one coterie of railroad executives
on tho governments handling OF
the roads during wartime is that
the American Federation of Labor
rail unions were given national
agreements during Federal control
which made It possible for their
leaders to build up strong unions
where weak organizations had ex-
listed before. A strong campaign
to bring about prewar condltions
has existed since and is now
brought to a head by the announce
ment of the program of American
Association of Railroad Executives
to form company unions.
Tho executive association mas
maintained consistently that it was
not fighting the unions and tha'
all action along this line was the
decision of individual roads The
announcement of L. F. Loree, East
ern chairman of the executive as
sociation, puts the Eastern carriers
ON record as a unit in seeking 10
nnst the established unions.
only the hardest kind of hgnt
can make this effort by the carriers
successful, in the opinion of rail au-
,horities here. Under the Esch-Cum-
r,ins law the Labor Board must rec
nOnlZe as
those who represent the majority Oh
the workers. In the railroad shops
throughout the country from 20 "
95 per cent of the employees oeions
TO the American Federation OF Ia
bor unions, the Federated snop
crafts
Appeals to supreme Court
1n order to further the immediate
6vht on the unions, the Pennsyiva-
nia Railroad, the prime mover IN
the open shop movement, today ap-
nealed the decision of the Circuit
Court of Appeals, upholding the La
bor Board in its criticism of the
road for disregarding the senti-
ments of the majority OF Its en-
nloyes, to the Supreme Court
NEW YORK, July 24.-Railroad
executives, particularly the "bitter
enders" in the Eastern group Of big
lines. are beginning to give voice To
resentment at the course Presi-
,.nt harding. the Railroad Labor
Board and other government agen-
cies gre adopting in dealing with
the rail strike.
Neither President Harding nor
Chairman Hooper Of the Railroad
Labor Board has made any effort
to >learn the point of view of the
employees, President L. F. Loree'
chairman of the Delaware and Hud-
son and chairman Of the Eastern
Railroad conference, declared.
Lays Blame to Hooper
The greatest retarding influence
in the strike situation has been the
"outgivings' of Chairman Hooper
and other political authorities,
Loree said.
Meanwhile, Eastern executives
fatty refusing to recognize the Sc
niority rights of shopmen who
obeyed the strike call. are going
ahead with the organization of COM
ps ny. unions among the men who
are sticking at their posts during
the strike. Representatives of nine
of the largest railroads running into
New York except the Baltimore and
Ohio. met here today to discuss the