The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-25


fate Of the railroad labor board
hangs in the balance a. one Of the.
results Of the strike that has upset
the transportation business Of the
country. A proposal to abolish the
board 10 under consideration and
may develop into one OF the big
fights In congress this winter. 1t
is also suggested that The head
quarters Of the board be moved
from Chicago to Washington. Many
labor leaders make no secret OF
their desire that the railway labor
tribunal be eliminated as . factor
in industrial relations. Samuel
Gompers, president Of the Fedora
ton Of Labor, ID conspicuous among
them. They are Of the school which
believes there should be no govern
mental interference in the contro-
versies between employers and en-
ployes, which comba,s the idea that
there should be any limitation OF
the right Of workers to strike, and
which resists all propositions look
ing to compulsory arbitration.
Some of the more powerful OF the
railway executives are wholly In
sympathy with these views of IA
Dor chieftains. They are the bit
ter enders" who have been fighting
organized labor for many years and
who believe that all conflicts be-
tween capital and labor should be
| fought out to q finish. The only
kind of industrial peace that they
! regard as desirable is that which
comes when one side or the other
has been beaten into complete sub
mission. -
These opponents Of the railroad
labor board predicted its failure
when the transportation act Of 1926
was passed. Needless to say, they
have not done their utmost to make
the operation of the board sue
cess. On the contrary, they have
played much the same game thai
the critics OF the government ad-
ministration of the railroads played
placed every. possible obstacle in
the way OF. its functioning satisfac'
torilv.
Friends of the board in congress
and out, therefore, will not adopt q
policy Of non-resis.ance in the face
of the promised assault upon it, but
will counter with a movement tt
give the board increased powers
to put teeth into the law, as they
express it. They contend that il
the board has not been wholly ef
fective it is because it has not hat
a fair trial and because it has no
had sufficient authority.
History of the Board.
The board was organized IL
April, 1920, and its first task wa!
a wage case in which it granted in
creases all along the line. Thi!
decision was accepted by the man
agements of the various railroads
However, it was while this case wa
pending that the controversy wa
started that was the first menac,
to the efficacy of the new law ant
the new tribunal During fedora
operation of the roads a nationa
agreement covering rules and work
| ing conditions had been negotiated
between the unions and the rail
road administration and nationa
boards of adjustment, bipartisan il
character, had been established tt
settle differences which might arist
under the agreement. AS soon a:
the railroads were returned to pri
vate control it was made cleal
that the railway executives woult
| fight the national agreement. l
was also apparent that whereas tn
new law provided for the creation
of national adjustment boards sim
liar to those that had functionel
under government operation tn
Executives were determined . tina
none should be established.
Officials of the railway labor or
; CARNATIONS asked the executives t,
meet with them and arrange TO
the adjustment boards. The exec
utives replied that the new law di,
not make the establishment of thes,
boards compulsory and that the.
would not agree to any snch agen
cies on a national basis. They in
Dictated willingness to establish
regional boards or boards on indi
vidual railroads or systems.
Il These adjustment boards wer
intended to handle the almost in
Vulnerable cases Of minor impor
lance which would swamp tn
railroad labor board if the subor
dinate agencies were not created
The railway workers therefor
charged that the executives wer
. deliberately trying to break dow
the law and make it impossible 70
the railroad labor board to func
ton efficiently.