Evening star., 1922-10-21
Regardless Of Big Four" Position
Government Must Take Action.


Announcement by President Lee Of
the Brotherhood of Trainmen that the
offensive and defensive alliance OF
the Big Four" railway brotherhoods
has been ended and that hereafter
they will act individually in settling
grievances has met with the COM
plete approval Of the nations editors.
Most of them take the position. how
ever. that the change by no means
should mean abandonment Of anti
strike legislation affecting essential
industries by Congress. They hold
also that 1t sounds the death kneil Of
the one big union idea OF the radical
laborites.
The leaders Of the Big Four" as
questionably the ablest labor leaders
in America. 1t was all the more de-
plorable that these men should cease
to be source Of fair play and good
sense and should take the radical and
threatening attitude that they have
taken from the hour Of the Adamson
act down to the recent shipments
strike. The whole country should be
grateful to Mr.. Lee for his frank and
forceful words. But the Tribune can
not see that the decision OF the Big
Four in the least obviates the need
essential industries. M. Lee has
enunciated a broad principle which
must be enacted into the law of the
land. 1t Is to the interests of the
members of the brotherhoods, quite
as much as to the interests of every
~ 49, "A
The Lee statement is "surprising.
the Richmond News-Leader points
out, and he probably exaggerates
neither the dangers Of national agree
ments nor the advantages of separate
action. Now the members OF the big
four perceive that the railroads' de-
fense stiffens' in direct proportion to
the magnitude of the disaster that
threatens the country. Applying the
moral and casting aside the weapon
Of general railway strikea weap-
Four probably will benefit themselves
as surely as they will relieve the
country" In addition the new policy
certainly should appeal to the pub
lic," the Manchester Union feels. as
prefer a regional tie-up of industry
and transportation rather than 2 ma
tional stoppage of the wheels Of COM
merce. And the impressive fact should
not be overlooked that this new con-
ception of trades union strategy tends
moro than ever to neutralfze propa-
ganda in behalf of one big union and
Offset the possibility that the nation
might fall prey to the insidious ef-
forts OF the communists. bolshevists
and mass-actions chortlers." This de-
cision should hasten "a considerable
era of peace on the country's rail-
roads," the Roanoke World-News is
convinced, but it warns that now the
things most needed are conciliatton,
fairness and sincerity on the part of
ecutives, and a conscientious effort on
the part of Congress, to devise some
efficient means for protecting the in
terests of the railroads, the union
men and the public. And 1t will be
future for executives. labor leaders
or Congress to fall down on the job"
This decision Of "the most power
full" of labor groups. the Providence
Journal holds. can be traced to "the
country to the shopmen's strike, which
had a SOLDERING effect upon the unions
which were not involved. There was
not a little talk Of legislation provid-
ing penalties for the calling Of strikes.
the public being thoroughly sick Of
agitators. The leaders Of the other
unions have acted wisely in avoiding
a direct conflict with public opinion"
The Utica Observer Dispatch feels
that "the removal Of the menace OF Q
general strike will be hailed with Joy
by the pubic-'the innocent who are
aways in the majority It 10 time that
someone began to realise that 2
strike that paraly.es . great basic
industry 10 a selfish. individual. oe-
structive movement" The Minneapo-
lis Journal. going a step farther farther. as as
tween democracy and csntralisation,
and colossal strikes mean. :. MI ,sst Lee
the royernment must step In and
control them. There 70 . better way.
and It lies in keeping the unions
democratic In their organization ana
their attitude toward employers and
the public through direct man.to.man
relations In regional group meetings
and settlements. This method the rail
brotherhoods are now adopting. The
disaster to the shopcrafts' organiza.
ton has taught them q great lesson.
No more natton-Tide STRIKES Tor
it ~ = tsue sthas sths spsopls Of the