The labor world., 1922-06-17
ROADS FORCING LOCKOUTS.

connection DeLWccn Cncm ana the rail-
road is at an end, and if they desire
to remain employed they must apply
to the private company that has con-
tracted to do the railroads repair
work.
Then the shop employees find the
purpose Of the lockout-they are Of
fercd lower wages, longer hours and
harder working conditions.
The railroads defend this contract.
ing by the claim that it is no different
from other contracts they enter into.
This claim. is most superficial. It
will not stand analysis.
BY locking out these employees the
roads have broken contracts which
call for specified notice before ter
mination; they have violated seniority
rights which workers secured after
long service, and they have ended
privileges that have always been as
sociated with railroad work.
To say that the railroads discharged
these workers is to play with words.
The railroads do not want these work
ers to quit. If they did quit the rail
roads would turn on their tap of pub
lie virtue and hysteria that served
them in their campaign for the Cum
mins-Esch bill and on every other oc-
casion when their hand is open rather
than fist shape.
The Cummins- -Esch law provides
that wages shall be "just and reason
able,' and the railroad labor board
is to decide. The scheme of private
contracting takes wages Of these en-
plovcs outside the board s jurisdiction
and nullifies the intent of congress.
The law also empowers the board
to act in any dispute that f'is likely
to substantially interrupt commerce -
1t must be borne in mind that the
railroads demanded this law and their
newspapers insisted on it's passage.
The latter called upon every citizen
to join the chorus for justice to the
public, the railroads and the employees.
This charming picture, however, has
been disarranged since the financiers
have squeezed the Cummins- Esch act
for about the last penny and now con-
slider it liability, rather than an as
set in their labor crushing policy.
Its labor provisions are flouted by
the men who made the law possible
and their newspapers are mute. The
contracting with private companies
has been most brazen. No one denies
that these companies are dummies
without capitalization or financial
standing and use the shops of the rail
roads they have contracted with.
The board has recently ruled in the
case Of an obscure railroad, that it's
contracting is violation of the Cum
Esch law and that while the de-
cision applies only to that road, the
principle will be applied to all othecs
when their cases are reviewed.
And the other roads quickly notify
the board, through the public press,
that the board s policy will be resist
ed.
The purpose of this lockout is clear.
The railroads want cheaper produc.
tion, regardless Of JUSTICE law, con-
tracts, custom and understandings be-
tween men.
It now remains for some federal
judge to exonerate the railroads and
envelope with his clammy legalisms
and cob-webby lore the attempt Of the
roads to violate law and degrade
working conditions at the same time.
This lockout will be remembered by
workers the next time they are as
sured that their dependence upon eco
nomic power would not be necessary
if they "trust government board to
ascertain the facts and then depend
upon public opinion to enforce a Just
aWard'
This is the favorite sing song to
labor Of those editors who are now
silent while the railroads wreck the
law they jammed through congress
with the aid of the most extensive
lobby ever assembled.
HERE'S A SUGGESTION.
Senator Edge, of New Jersey ac-