Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-04
Is ''UtterIy BoIShevik in
CharaCter' Says Pres
ident of Federation of La
Dor in a Statement,
WORKERS HAVE RIGHT
TO Reject RULINGS
Boards Order '1S AutoCracy
With a VengeanCe;" viii
Inspire the Workers to
Win a Victory,
(By The Associated Press.)

Washington, July 3.-The ruling
of the United States labor board
"outlawing" the railroad unions
now on strike was denounced by
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor in
a statement issued tonight as tut
terly bolshevik in character" and
an attempt by the board "to dis
band unions at will" The ruling.
Mr.. Gompers added, was palpably
too ridiculous and fatuous to be
accepted as a permanent American
government policy"
THE action of the board" Mr..
Gompers' statement continued. "is
exactly a replica of the action of
the communists in turning the
unions into government-contro
agencies for the carrying out Of the
orders Of the state. Freedom OF
expression vanishes under the or
der of the board.
Wrong in Principle.
But / say now that the workers
OF America. either on the railroads
or elsewhere, do not intend to sac
rifice freedom of expression and of
action. The board undertakes to
say that unions which differ with
the board must cease to exist
they are 'outIawed.' Whether this
Is for the moment an assumption
of authority on the part of the
board is immaterial. 1t is the log
ical outcome of the very establish
ment of such boards. 1t Is an In
evitable consequence of an initial
action that was wrong in principle
and that has proved impossible in
action.
THE railroad labor board, as an
institution functioning in the twen-
tieth century is second in incon-
shop" movement.
1.-THE law gives the workers, or
the railroads. the right to decline
to accept the boards rulings. The
workers of necessity. declined. and
by vote of the membership, with
drew their services. They declined
10 work for the terms ordered by
the board. The board now declares
them outlaws This is autocracy
with a vengeance. 1t seeks to put
the whole force of government
back of the movement to kill the
spirit and the fact of collective
bargaining of joint negotiation and
agreement by the voluntary coming
together Of workers and employ
ers. 1t is the calamitous outgrowth
of a mistaken idea.
ONIONS cannot be unmade and
remade at government dictation
This is neither the Russia of the
Black autocrat nor of the Red au-
tocrat. TINS Is America, where
the principle of voluntary action.
of conference and agreement. OF
freedom of expression and of law
full action IL rooted in our soul and
grown into our institutions.
Why Unions Exist.
1.-The unions exist for humanity
for the workers and they cannot.
and will not be destroyed at the'
whim or fancy of band of dc
tators.
'T ask whether the board order
ed the directorate of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad dissolved and new
and smenable board created when
that railroad refused to obey the
orders OF the board. OF course
it did not, nor will it in any such
case. The railroad labor board Is
seeking to perpetuate what 1t be-
lieves to be the existing dominant
economic conditions. But the
board is mistaken in its analysis
of modern trends and fundament-
ais. 1t would have been equally
fitting and equally as ridiculous
for the board to order the dissolu-
tion of railroad directorates where
such directorates refuse to obey
the orders of the board.
If anything could have been
calculated to inspire the workers
with determination to win a VIC
tory for democratic m 'thods and
for Justice in their employment,
this action of the board will have
that result, unnecessary though it
NAV he"