The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-14
PUBLIC OPINION IS
 VALUED BY STRIKERS
Railroad Walkout Demon strates Importance of Public Favor From Two Sources.
By FRANK l. SAVAGE, International News Service

New York, Aug. 14-Perhaps no other incident in recent history, the conduct of politicians not excepted, has served to illustrate more vividly the recognized importance of public opinion than the railroad strike.
 In the Eastern district at least the desire of both railway executives and strikers to see that the public gets the facts straight has ben more evil dent than any mutual concern over the private exchange of information.
 Nor has been the disposition to keep the public informed through the fre- Quent publication of statements, tele- grams and u1timatunS the only indi- cation of the zeal of both sides that [ either by errors of omission or com mission. Each camp has been quick to seize upon any alleged discrepan- cies in the pronouncements of the other.
 Employs Statisticians.
 The headquarters of the striking shopmen has retained a bureau com posed of highly trained, professional statisticians, whose duty it has been ito collect authorative data tending to { show. that the suspension of work in the shops has had a material effect on the operation schedules of the roads. Through this bureau detailed daily statements regarding the move . ment of trains, the percentage of ef- fectiveness of the -walkout and the condition of equipment have been furnished the daily press
 On the other side the railway ex- ecutiveS have maintained an infor- nation bureau whose duty it has been {; to show that train service has not been impaired, that new employees daily are being taken on in the shops and that the railroads are getting :, assistance of their erstwhfle employees now on strike.
 Reports At Variance.
 Obviously, the reports of the rival
 I riance, and there was no failure of either side to live up to expectations fully.
 The ammunition of both has con- :. denials, each of the other.
 The much-wooed public, as na- ! tura1 consequence has been obliged ! to employ it's discriminatory facul- prevent itself from being mentally yanked hithers and yon in an effort ! to pursue a happy middle path in ] forming its opinions.
 Following is an excerpt from a re- i cent statement issued by an official i of the Central Strike Committee, com menting resumably on the statement { of the same day by an official of the c1Aring that car shortages are less in evidence now than they were on the first day of three consecutive months prior to calling Of the strike:
 Statement of Strikers.
 'tThe brazep attempt of the railroad 1 executives to mislead the public about the gravity of the bad order car situ- ] ation will be a death blow to their Npropaganda. From now on the pub ! lie will suspect the so-ca1led statistics which emanate from railroad offices There is a highly organized and lavish 1y financed publicity campaign now being waged by the executives to con- vince the public that the strike is in- effective. Those who are in charge of this campaign will stop at nothing to gain their ends. This is a fair ex- ample of what Is going on Most of . the statements made by the executives !! in the past ten days are gross exag- geration or wi1fu1 misrepresentation : The railroads cannot win the fight by faking the figures
 And thus it goes-from both sides -ad infinitumi