Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-07-07
BY EDWARD w. PICKARD


EOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND rail-
Il way shop workers were called out
on strike, effective Saturday morning.
and the order included also all Pull
man shopmen in the country. An equal
number of maintenance of way en-
ployees was expected to join in the
walkout. though as their strike vote
had not been completely canvassed, it
was said their action might be delayed
a few days.
The strike was set on the day when
the rail workers were to undergo cut
of 100000 in wages, and when the
$400,000,000 freight rate reduction
went into effect. B. NJ Jewell, head
of the shop crafts, had told the rail-
way executives the strike would be
sanctioned unless they agreed to ig-
more the federal labor boards wage
reduction order, to restore certain
working rules which the board had
eliminated and TO abolish the farming
out" system adopted by some of the
railroads. The railway arrangements
would not yield, and the strike deci-
sion was promptly sanctioned by the
following six international union pres
idents, constituting the mechanical
section of the railway employees de-
partment: William Ell. Johnston, In
ternational Association of Machinists
y. w. Kline. International Brotherhood
of Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers and
Helpers of America; j. A. Franklin.
International Brotherhood of Boiler
makers, Iron Shipbuilders and Helpers
of America; J. J. Hynes, Amalgamated
Sheet Metal Workers international al
lance; James p. Noonan, Information
al Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
and Martin F. Ryan, Brotherhood of
Railway Car Men of America.
Railway managers were confident
that the strike would not greatly
handicap transportation operations, at
least for some time. They had antici-
pated 1t by making such provisions as
were possible. and besides, as has been
noted before, the train service men
and dispatchers are not involved In
the present controversy. and will con-
dinue at work.
There was some hope that Ben
Hooper. chairman of the labor board.
could stave off the strike by persuad-
ing certain roads to cancel their con-
tracts for shop work, but it was con-
sidered rather unlikely that this would
satisfy the unions. Furthermore, bit
ter internal strife in the labor board
deyeloped. The majority members
comprising the group representing the
public and the railways, issued state
ment that labor members, In their dis
senting opinions, were sowing some
of the seeds that have terminated ana
blossomed into industrial anarchy IN
Russia" that they had advised the
EMPLOYEES to strike against the deci-
sion of the board" and had advanced
sfncendiary arguments to the railroad
employees in favor of striking against
decision of the board"
The board called the shop crafts IN
ternational officers and the railway ex-
ecutives TO appear before it for an in
quiry.
PRESIDENT HARDING finally has
L taken personal action in the mat
ter of the coal strike. The admins
tration, through high government
official. stated its position thus: Goal
is going TO be mined in sufficient guam
tity to prevent any fuel famine next
winter" and it was added that If
peaceful measures TO end the strike
failed. more drastic action would be
taken. Next, Mr.. Harding invited the
representatives of the miners and op-
orators to conference in the White