Evening star., 1922-08-18
TEXT OF PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
TO CONGRESS ON STRIKE CRISIS


boards decisions, make it a real
tribunal of peace in TRANSPORTS
ton, and everybody serve the pub
lie. The barrier to be surmounted
was the question of seniority. BY
the workmen these rights are held
to be sacred, and unsurrendered by
strike. BY the carriers the pres
ervation of seniority is the weapon
of discipline on the one hand and
the reward OF faithful employees on
the other. 1t has been an almost
invariable rule that when strikes
have been lost seniority and It's
advantages have been surrendered;
when strikes have been settled
seniority has been restored.
In the tentative proposal which
I sponsored 1t was provided that
everybody should go to work. with
seniority rights unimpaired. that
there should be no discrimination
by either workmen or carriers
against workmen who did or did
not strike. l realized that the pro-
posal must carry a disappointment
to employees who had inherited pro-
motion by staying loyalty on the
job. and to such new men as had
sought jobs looking to permanent
employment. but I wanted the fresh
start and maintained transportation
service, and ! appraised the disap-.
pointment of the few to be less i'm
portant than the impending misfor-
tune to the nation. 1t was not
what l would ask ordinarily to be
considered or conceded, but at that
moment of deep anxiety. with the
coal shortage gravely menacing.
was thinking of the pressing de-
mands of the welfare Of the whole
people. l believed the sacrifice
brought to the men involved could
be amply compensated for by the
carriers in practical ways. 1 be-
lieved that the matter of transcend
ent Importance was the acceptance
of the proposal to respect the
Labor Boards decision on the Ques-
tions which formed the issue at
the time of the strike. The public
compensation would be complete in
guarding by law against recur-
renee.
Proposal Rejected BY Carriers.
The proposal was rejected by the
carriers. Though the rejection did
~ To Of
government only one course-to
call the striking workmen to re-
turn to work, to call the carriers
to assign them to work, and leave
the dispute about seniority to the
Labor Board for decision. When
negotiation OF mediation fails. this
is the course contemplated by the
law and the government can have
no chart for it's course except the
law.
To this call majority OF the
carriers responded favorably, pro-
posing to re-employ all strikers
except those guilty of violence
against workmen or property. to
restore the striking workmen to
their old positions where vacant.
or to like positions where vacan-
cies are filled: questions Of senior
ity which cannot be settled be-
tween the employer and employees
to go to the Labor Board for deci-
sion. The minority of the carriers
proposed to assign jobs to work..
men on strike only where the po-
sitions were vacant. Neither pro-
posal has been accepted.
Thus the narrative brings US to
the present moment, but 1t has
not included the developments
which have heightened the gov
ernment's concern. sympathetic
strikes have developed here and
there. sriously impairing inter-
continental trains in the desert
regions Of the southwest have re-
vealed the cruelty and contempt
for law on the part Of some rail-
way employees. who have conspired
to paralyze transportation. and
lawlessness and violence in a hun
dred places have revealed the
failure Of the striking unions to
hold their forces to law observ-
ance. Men who refused to strike
and who have braved insult and
assault and risked their lives to
serve a public need have been
cruelty attacked and wounded or
killed.
Men seeking work and guards at
tempting to protect lives and prop
erty, even officers Of the federal
government. have been assaulted,
humiliated, and. hindered in their
duties. Strikers have armed them
selves and gathered in mobs about
railroad shops to offer armed
violence to any man attempting to
go to work. There is a state of
lawlessness shocking to every con-
ception of American law and order
and violating the cherished guar
antics CT American freedom. At
no time has the federal govern
ment been unready or unwilling to
give its support to maintain law
and order and restrain violence. but
in no case has state. authority con-
fessed it's inability to cope with
the situation and asked for federal
assistance.
Losses Already In Millions.
Under these conditions of him
drance and intimidation there has
been such lack of care of motive
power that the deterioration of
locomotives and the non compliance
with the safety requirements of
the law are threatening the break
down Of transportation. This very
serious menace is magnified by the
millions of losses to fruit growers
and other producers of perishable