Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-20

der these agreements I put into effect,
May 81, 1918, the basis of understand
ing arrived at between Messrs. Smith,
Markham and Ashton, representing
the railroads, and the chief executive
officers of these federated crafts"
/ Similarly, Mr.. McAdoo says, an
order was issued creating board OF
. adjustment for members of the order
of Railroad Photographers, Switch
mems Union, Brotherhood OF RAILWAY.
| Clerks and United Brotherhood OF
Maintenance of Way Employees, and
others.
"These boards, Mr.. McAdoo added,
"were created by agreement between
the representatives of the railroad
labor organizations and the officers
of the railroad corporations as reg
ional directors of the railroad admin
istration.
"This practice, adopted under Fed
eral control, Of dealing through these
boards of adjustment with the griev-
anccs Of railroad employees and of
authorizing the establishment of these
| boards of adjustment between groups
of carriers and the employees and
their organizations has been specific
ally approved by Congress and incor-
porated in the Cummins-Esch law"
An absolute essential" to the
achievement Of the nations war pro-
gram, Mr.. McAdoo declared, "was to
satisfactorily dispose Of the labor
program, which was then acute and
menacing. There were
many grave abuses in the matter Of
working conditions on the railroads
which needed correction"
"The wisdom of dealing with the
subject in this manner" Mr.. McAdoo
said "has been fully justified by re-
suits"
Did the national agreement impose
unnecessary costs upon the carriers!
Railroad officials have declared that
they were very expensive, but Mr..
Hines declares that under them ctti-
cheney Of workers increased.
Mr.. Hines, in his report. to the
President, says that "The traffic units
of service per man per hour had in
creased from 80 per cent n 1915 to
100 per cent in 1919. A greater num-
Der of traffic units per man hour than
had ever been obtained before.
Frank McManamy, assistant direct
or of operations during Federal con-
troll, corroborated the testimony of
Messrs. McAdoo and Hines in an ex-
tended presentation before the U. S.
Railroad Labor Board.
THE national agreement" he said,
practically put end to strikes, in
creased morale, made the men con-
tented and improved the esprit
d'corps, without which efficiency is
generally impossible"
Mr.. McManamy exploded the con-
tcntion that the national agreement
was 'foistcd" upon the carriers. He
said:
THE agrcemnt was practically
made between representatives of the
regional directors (all of whom were
railroad officials) and representatives
of the employees, who held confer
cnces covering 2 period of approx
matcly four months, both Of whom APP
pearcd before the wage board in pre-
senting their respective sides Of the
case.
The charge that the workers CO.
creed the railroad administration was
denounced as unfounded by Mr.. Nc
Mananly, who says on this point:
$50 far as the railroad administra-
ton was concerned it was not coerced
into anything. 1t proceeded along the
lines which were. in the Judgment of
these in charge, for the best interests
of the country and Of the railroads.
/ do not recall any threats of coercion
or intimidation"
Four or five months after the agree
ment became effective, Mr. McMan-
amy testified, canvass "of regional
directors to determine the results
showed that there was general and al
most uniform increase of efficiency"