The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-19
SOUTHERN
TAKES Up The
STRIKE FIGHT
by Strikers
Of Offer of Railway
to Take Them Back
Without Condition
Results in Decision
to Employ New Men

Results in Decision
to Employ New Men
Washington, Aug. H. The
Southern railway, which to date
has made no efforts to combat the
shopmen's strike. announced today
through its president. Fairfax Har-
rison, that it would employ any
help available to keep trains in
operation.
Mr.. Harrison II, a formal state
ment said that the Southern had
made every effort to settle with its
men even "to the extent of offering
the terms that they had previously
agreed to accept and without re-
suit, and that 'if it means war to
run the Southern railway then let
us have it now-not later
Officials of the company supple
mented Mr.. Harrison's statement
only to the extent of pointing out
that conferences between the rall-
road management and the strikers
were held last week without result
and that the only course left open
to the company was to employ such
workers as could be obtained.
The action Of the Southern was
generally regarded as significant IN
that it had heretofore made no ef-
fort to fill the places Of the shop
men who went on strike and in that
it not being a member Of the As
sociation of Railway Executives had
not participated in the two meet
ings held by that organization in
New York to consider strike set
tlement proposals put forward by
President Harding.
sThe statement issued by Mr.. Har-
rison said:
Every effort has been made so
to operate our property that our
men could honorably return to
work. Every effort has been made
to settle with our men. we have
gone to the extent OF offering the
terms that they had previously
agreed to accept. We have thus
held out every reasonable in
dncement for them to return.
We must now turn to employing
others. for the road must be run:
we must give those we employ pro-
lection, for it may be that those
we have up to this time protect
ed by keeping their jobs open may
now turn against us even to an at
tempt to prevent others from
working.
Call is now being made upon
every employee, upon every patron
Of this company and upon every
citizen along its lines to rally to
the support Of the road that has
served you and protected your own
interest in the maintenance of
transportation. With your help We
can run the road and we pledge
all the resources of the company
to that end. If it means war to
run the Southern railway then let
us have 1t now-not later"
Spartanburg, Aug. IA. = The
Spartanburg branch of the federat-
ed shop crafts unions of the South
ern railway, through its executive
committee, today issued state
ment giving the reasons for their
refusal to accede TO the terms Of
settlement offered by that railway
in Washington on July 8. They
stated, I'VE were bound by every
rule of ethics not TO do so.
.eWhen an< honorable man enters
into an agreement, verbally or 9TH
erwise. he carries out at any cost
every obligation binding him there
to. The members of the shop
crafts of the Southern railway are
honorable men and as their agree
ment is nationwide in import, We
could not accept the terms of
separate settlement, regardless Of
our personal feelings towards the
management of the Southern rail-
way. without stultifying ourselves.
which we will never do"
Knoxville. Tenn. Aug. 14.-Steps
will be taken Immediately to re-
o,.r +ia CoStor ,.bpnc of the SOl1f h