The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-02-03
RAILWAYS SHOULD
NOT BE BLOCKED
MORAL OBLIGATION RESTS UPON
EMPLOYEES AND ROADS TO
KEEP WHEELS ROLLING
Vice Chairman Of Labor Board Doing
All Possible to Avoid Clash Be-
tween Rail Workers and
Their Employers

Boston,-Railway arrangements and
their Employees have a moral obligation
to avoid interruption Of traffic and the
United States railroad labor board Is
endeavoring to lead both carriers and
railWorkers to carry out this obliga-
ton, Ben w. Hooper, vice chairman
of the labor board, declared Friday
before the Boston chamber of COM
merce.
Mr.. Hooper, g. W. w. Hanger, pub
lie member, and w. L. McMenimen,
labor member of the board, were guests
of the chamber at a luncheon, where
Mr.. Hooper voiced the opinion thar
America had passed through ''the win
ter of our discomfort" and was now
standing on tiptoe, with the slogan
of the vernacular on her lips, Let's
co."
The hard pull is over" the former
governor of Tennessee said. aTne
farmer is the only man in the country
who ras really debated. He alone did
4%@N'~ S--S POI VI
to retard his decent and break his
fall. The next time this country takes
an International joyride in the Zeppc-
lin Of war, the farmer will have his
parachute along with him and will not
be invited to step out on storm cloud
and slide down rainbow"
Mr.. Hooper said he expected the
number of railway employees to be
largely increased in the spring, that
revenues would be enlarged by in
creased business and that conditions
would probably justify a reduction of
rates which is 50 essential to the res
toraion of normal buiness"
In return to normal, Governor HOOP
er said, the railroads had ACCOMPLISHED
the transition without hny general
strike or serious disturbance.
"As rule, both managements ann
employees have eooperated cordially In
carrying out the transportation act."
MIR. Hooper said. This has not been
easy for either side. The railroads
have had to contend with financial
difficulties, and have been continually
subjected to the temptation of taking
the bit in their teeth and trying to get
relief by independent action more
| quickly than the labor board conaa-
cred it just and reasonable to give 10
them Only few carriers have sue
cumbed to this temptation and discon-
/ tent have resulted.
''The complaints of the employees
have been that certain carried, to avoid
dealing with labor organizations, have
| disregarded the rights of the majority
| guaranteed by the transportation act,
| that certain carriers have evaded the
boards wage orders by having receir-
! erS in charge put into effect wage or
ders of the courts without submitting
| the matter to the board and that Ger
tain carriers have evaded the wage de-
cisions of the board by contracting or
claiming TO contract certain classes
of their work to independent contrac-
| tors.
Whatever may be the merit of these
| contentious of the employees, it is evil
dent that they involve provocative sit
uatiOns. Under somewhat trying Gil
cumstances, the employees have exhibit
ed commendable self-restraint.
ION the other hand, practically all
the carriers have promptly put into
| effect decisions of the labor board
with which they were not in thorough
accord and have struggled patiently
and courageously with discouraglng
conditions.
THE question will occur to you, will
the fear of condemnation of public
sentiment always secure the obedience
of the parties to the decisions of the
railroad labor board, or will there
come time when powerful motives of
self-interest will induce one or the
| other to trample underfoot the boards
decisions and override public opinion?
at must not be forgotten that there
are some labor leaders and certain la
! Dor periodicals which persistenuy
preach the disquieting doctrine thar
| the toilers of this country cannot trust
the courts and tribunals having iuris-
distion of their troubles. The railroad
labor board, if moved by a porfound
desire to do justice, may largely coun-
teract this destructive preachment, ana
that without stopping over like a neu-
resthenic parlor communist"