The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-07-13
Chiefs
Refuse to
Meet Jewell
Executives Declare Issue Not
One for Consideration Be.
tween Carriers and Rep.
resentatives of Unions.
Up to u. S. Labor Board

NWSdko, Juiy i-'Npy ~ ~ ~
flat refusal to meet with d. NJ.
Jewell, head OF the striking shopmen,
to discuss peace proposals was the
answer of railway executives to q
proposal made by Ben w. Hooper,
chairman of the United States rail-
road labor board.
In a letter addressed to Mr.. Hoop.
er, the executives declared that
"the-issue raised is not for considera-
ton between the carriers and the
representatives OF the organized
crafts on strike, except through the
further orderly processes before the
United States railroad labor board"
Asserting that the strike was a
refusal to accept the decision OF the
labor board, the letter declared that
no conference contingent on the
abandonment of the decision of the
board was permissible or tcnable,
because it would place the carriers
participating therein in apparent CO.
operation with those on strike in
seeking to find measures to subvert
the decision Of the labor board
Suggest Recall Of Strike.
The letter added, however, that
"a prompt recall OF the strike order
would permit the resumption Of for
mer methods of conference and per-
nit the consideration of any mat
ters which Representatives of en-
ployes might desire to submit"
The letter, which was signed by
Samuel M. FELTON,, president OF the
Chicago & Great Western railway;
L. F. Loree of the Delaware & Hud-
son; B. F. Bush of the Missouri Pa
cific, and Whiteford R. Cole of the
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis,
follows in full:
Replying to your inquiry to
Messrs. Bush, Cole. Loree and Fel-
ton on the occasion Of your call this
morning, we beg to say that while
we, as chairmen of conference COM
mittees relating to railroad matters
in the several sections of the coun-
try, are without authority to speak
for individual companies, we have no
reason to believe that meeting be-
tween the railroad companies and
representatives of the striking men
can be arranged under present con-
ditions.
All Parties Heard.
"Th;s STRIFE is a refusaI IN accent
the results of the arbitration of the
United States railroad labor board
pursuant to law, after exhaustive
hearings in which all parties con-
cerned were fully heard. On June
80, last, the board, OF which you are
chairman, called a public hearing by
citation to the proper representatives
Of carriers and organizations named
in the order of the board for the
purpose of an inquiry initiated by the
board under section 3l3 Of the trans
portation act OF 1920.
Notwithstanding the full response
by carriers to this citation, repre-
sentatives of the organizations, men,
bers of which are now on strike,~re-
fused to attend and persisted in their
refusal to do so and thereby aid the
board in the performance of its pub
lie duty I'M the further inquiry into
the circumstances relating to the
strike then threatened.
after respectful consideration Of
your inquiry the conclusion seems
necessarily to follow because of the
strike thereafter called in defiance
of the decision and order of the
United States railroad labor board
decision No. 1036-and the control
ling act of the transportation act.
that the issue thus raised is not one
for consideration between the car
riers and representatives of the
organized crafts on strike, except
through the further orderly pro-
cesses before the United States rail-
road labor board as contemplated by
the transportation act"
Conclusion Confirmed.
This conclusion is confirmed by
the statements which have appeared
in the public press to the effect that
these representatives are only willing
to abandon this strike and return to
service on the condition that thew
be relieved from acceptance of ma
ture decision of the labor board in
the case referred to. No conference
for that purpose is, in our Judgment,
permissible nor tenable. because
i. would place the carriers participat-
ing therein in apparent cooperation
with those on strike in seeking to
find the means to subvert the de-
cision of the labor board.
"On the other hand, a prompt re-
call of the strike order would per-
init the resumption OF former meth
DDS of conference and permit the
consideration of any matters which
representatives of employees might
desire to submit
I'm closing We should add in ad-
dition. however, that we have no
reason to doubt the prompt response
by the carriers OF the country to
any summons by the United States
railroad labor board to anv further
hearing that may be called in corr
nection with this subject in the
event the hoard sbouId J>t,-,,;,.