New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-06

mum Tor THIS class before conditions
set in was Ii cents and that the
present minimum is SO infinitesimal,
geographically and numerically, that
It cannot be taken as the basis upon
which the wage Of skilled labor is
built, as you assert, but the average
OF 1927 cents per hour would be taken
rs such basis.
Disputes JEWELS Allegations
Going now directly to the point Of
your letter. you allege, in substance.
.na5 the Labor Board, by its resolution
of July 8, 'outlawed' the striking shop
crafts, that it excluded them from the
consideration of the board, that it pro
posed to exclude such other organiza-
tons as might strike and that it had
thus Joined in a drive OF the financial
interests against organized labor.
The board has done none of these
things that you charge against it. You
are simply putting the cart before the
horse, confusing cause and effect.
Your chief, MIR. Gompers, fell into the
same error in his statement about the
matter.
Here is what has, in fact, happened
IN proper consecutive order:
FIRST, the board and the labor or
CARNATIONS have always concurred in
recognizing the right of the majority
OF class of employees on railroad,
through their chosen representatives
to make agreements with the carrier.
Second-These agreements, when
made by labor organization, apply
not only to the members of that organ
lzation but to non members doing the
same class of work.
"Third-You announced in Sundays
press that The shopmen, having left
the employ of the railroads. no longer
come under the jurisdiction of the
Labor Board. This was in accord with
your previous communications to the
board
No Organizations Outlawed
"Fourth-It necessarily follows that
when certain of the employees went out
of the employ of the carrier a majority
OF those who remained in, and those
who may subsequently enter, will be
entitled to represent all of any given
class of employees in any dispute be-
fore the Railroad Labor Board The
board will not cease to function mere
ly because certain employees leave the
service, nor will the transportation
act be annulled.
"Flfth-lt therefore follows that YOU
are grlevously in error when you state
that the Railroad Labor Board has
OTRdn1LdLiOnS.
1t has only accepted your own state
ment as one Of fact and law that the
striking men are not now employees
OF the carriers. 1t has not, however
used the rasping word outlaw at any
time.
You must know, Mr.. Jewell, that
you do this board grave injustice and
yourself no credit when you charac-
terize the board as unfriendly to your
organizations and being implicated in
drive of the financial interests
against the employees. You are too
we'll aware of the numerous instances
in which the board has upheld all the
railway labor organizations, recognized
their right to function, declaring their
right of collective bargaining, and sus-
tanning them in their resistance to eff
forts made here and there to deprive
them of their rights and privileges.
In fact, may say, without the fear of
successful contradiction, that this has
been the uniform policy of the Labor
Board.
But because we have thus recog-
nized the rights of the employees, it
does not follow that we can or should
agree with them in every contention
or that we should ignore the rights
and interests of the public.
81 am yet quite hopeful that your
rum and discern that it is vastly
better for them to go along with the
Railroad Labor Board, patiently when
it makes mistakes, but confident at
all times that it profoundly desires to
do justice to the men, the carriers and
the public, without fear, favor or af-
lection"