The citizen., 1922-07-20
ey EDWARD w. PickARo


G TRENUOUS efforts to bring TO an
~ end the strike of railway shopmen
were made last week by Chairman
Hooper and his colleagues OF the fed
eral labor board. but up to the time Of
writing these had been entirely un-
successful and the status OF affairs
did not give much hope OF an early
peace. Late Wednesday night the rail.
way executives took action that In the
minds OF many placed on them the
burden OF blame for the failure Of ne
gotiatlons They fiatly refused to en-
leader OF the strikers. and their rra-
sons were held by Mr.. Hooper to be
In the main quite insufficient. They de-
manded that the shopmen abandon
their strike and then proceed 10 set.
tie their grievances through the labor
board. They declined TO meet Jewell
on the ground that. the men having
struck In defiance OF the decision and
order OF the board and the controlling
provisions Of the transportation act,
'the issue thus raised Is not one for
consideration 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, as
contemplated by the transportation
act"
Unbiased opinion will agree with
Mr. Hooper's statement that the execu-
tive gave no reason that would satisfy
the public. He continued: "In 80 far
ss the decllnation Is based on q desire
TO preserve the authority and dignity
Of the railroad labor board. Il Is super
nuous. The labor board yin erdesvor
:, taS 1resT sZsf "a .afsstpssnrd.
Ths Sstatement In the letter that
the strike is q refusal to accept the
results OF the arbitration Of the rail.
road labor board" falls a little short
Of accuracy. One Of the questions In
volved In the strike Is violation Of
the boards decisions by certain car
riers. II Ia true nearly all OF the car
riers have discontinued this practice.
but some Of them have not"
Chairman Hooper intimated that
new peace plans OF the board involved
appeals TO the railway lines individu-
ally.
In many parts OF the country. es-
pecially the Middle West Texas, and
on the Pacific coast. the disorders due
to the strike became increasingly vio-
lent. and a number OF men were killed.
In several states the militia was
called out. and In some localities.
notably Bloomington. H.. the engi-
neers. 6Temen and trainmen rebelled
against working under military guard.
Sympathetic strikes were talked Of.
The leaders OF the brotherhoods held
several conferences and said their men
would continue TO operate trains up
to the point where the military occu-
patton began.
President Helt OF the railway sig
nslmen announced that his organlza-
tion had postponed striking pending
with the labor board
which are now under way. On one
bustetn Tohu hii the c'VfhS ohut
Determined 10 guard federal inter
ests. the administration at Washing
ton has been keeping close tab on the
and President Harding
Issued a proclamation directing all
persons TO refrain with all interfer-
ence with the lawful efforts TO main
tain Interstate transportation and the
carrying OF the United States mails"
This was done after Postmaster Gen
eral Work had submitted TO the cab
enoe with the transportation OF the
mails and the Information that num-
Der of roads had been forced to aban-
don some OF their mail trains. In
The administration laid plans for the
Institution OF civil aud criminal pro-
reedings against individual offenders
and the urions II was understood !
that for the present the various states |
would be relied on for protection OF |
workers and trains. but II any failed.
he federal troops would be called out.
md possibly soldiers and marines
would be placed on the mall trains.
The President Is determined to back
~ the Z, deral labor board TO the full
,xtent of his powers.
On Thursday. at the direction Of
he President, Secretary Weeks or
lered troops held In readiness TO pro-
ect the lines OF the Missouri, Kansas
md Texas road In Texas, where OPP
ratlons were In Deded by lawlessness
nd violence. 11is was In response
0 an appeal from the receiver OF the
ailway 'yho was appointed by Unit
a States court.
(Continusd I'm Paas Efohti