The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-08-02

board has recognized and emphasized
these nights and to deny them now,
would, instead OF upholdtng the au-
thority OF tho labor board, overthrow
Its rules and discredit Its Authority.
Quote Hooper Statement.
''The chairman OF tho labor board at
the time the strike was called made
the following public statement:
Upon one question. tho striking
employees should not DO deceived. Their
leader has said that the strikers are
no longer employees of the railways.
ana they have thus automatically
abandoned all the rights they posses
under their agreements and under the
decisions Of the board, including their
seniority. This Is not the boards ,ac-
aon, It Is their own.
Many carriers are giving their
former employees the opportunity to re-
enter the service within q nIsited time.
It must be understood now that men
who remained In the service and those
who are now entering 1t will have
rights Of seniority that the board could
not ignore
THE. chairman of the boards state
mene that this Is an individual ut
terAncs, but 1t expresses In substance.
the sentiments OF a large majority OF
Cn0 m9mD OF the TF11IO9d L8DOI
beard was justified by formal action
Of the board taken in It's resolution OF
July 3, 1922, which stated, among other
things as follows:
Remain In Service
Be It further resolved that the
employees remain in the service and the
new ones entering same be accorded
the application ana benefit Of the out.
standing wage and rule decisions OF
tho railroad labor board until they arc
amended Or modified by agreements
with said employees, arrived at In con-
forrntty with the transportation act
or by decision Of the board and
"Be It further resolved that II It be
assumed that the employees who leave
the service OF the carriers because OF
their dissatisfaction with any decisions
OF the labor board are within their
rights IN so doing, It must likewise be
conceded that the mon who remain in
tho service and those who enter II
anew are within their rights In accept
Ing such employment, that they are
not strike breakers seeking to impose
the arbitrary win OF an employer or
employees: that they have the moral as
we'll as the legal right to engage IN
such service Of the American public
to avoid interruption OF indispensable
railway transportation and that they
are entitled to the protection Of every
department and branch OF tho govern
msnt, state ana national"
Sacrifices Loyal" Men.
TT must be understood that any pro-
posal that employees now on strike
shall be permitted to return to tho
service without impairment Of their
seniority Is merely another way of sug-
%Jn0 %1,a M
ployment in this crisis In good faith,
relying on the promises on tho rail-
roads to protect them in their posi-
tioAs, these promises being justified by
tho authoritative utterances Of the In
Dor board and thus have made posi- bla
tho continued operation Of the rail-
ways. shall now DO sacrificed In favor
OF mon now on strike who not only
brought about tho crisis, but by their
own action and declaration are no
longer employees OF the railways, under
the Jurisdiction OF tho United States
railroad labor board, or subject to the
application of the transportation act.
In addition to tho necessity Of MP
holding tho labor board and maintain
ing the pledges made by the railroads
to the mon now at work, there Is tho
practical effect on the supervisory Of
fiosrs OF violation OF tho pledges
they wero authorized TO make. THOR
discourag ement and demoral1za
would be far moro disastrous than this
or any other strike. Much harm has
already been done by repeated pubnca-
ton OF rumors In recent day that loyal
rev men are to b sacrificed to tho
strikers. This has discouraged now
mon from accepting employment in any
great numbers as would como forward
II certain that tho pledges given vould
be fulfilled. Such published rumors
only delay rhe complete collapse Of tho
strike.
Tn view OF the above. it 10 submit
ed that tho striking former employees
cannot be given preference to employees
at present In tho service, without DO.