The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-08-07
ROADS STAND BY
.L0YALE:hIsalpLOYEEES
Tell President Harding Cid and
New Men Muet Be Protected
in Strike Settlement.
NOT A MATTER OF CHOICE
Faithful Employees Have Both Legal
and Moral Rights 70 Seniority
and Other Benefits.

New Yorkshire KEYNOTE Of the re-
ply made by railway executives repre-
SenJing more than l>h class | Rail-
reads Of the United States 10 the prop
nsiti"n of President Harding, that "all
strikers be returned IL ttei! work and
their former positions with seniority
and other rights unimpaired," lies i'll
the last paragraph from their reply
to the President as follows:
1t is submitted that the strIk-
ing former employees cannot be gwen
preference to employees at present in
the service without doing violence TO
every principle of right and justice
involved in this matter. and without
the grossest breach of faith on the
part of the railroads to the men at
present III their service.
Under these circumstances, it be-
comes apparent that the railroads
cannot consider any settlement of the
present strike which does not pro-
vide protection in their present en-
ploy1nent both to the loyal employees
who remained in the service and to
the new employees entering it.
The executives had accepted the
first two conditions proposed by the
President, namely, that both employ
ers and employees accept the decisions
Of the Labor Board, and that all law
suits growing out of the strike be
withdrawn: and in relation to the
third condition spoke not only as
quoted above but also as follows:
The railroad executives and man
ayers agree entirely with the Presi-
dents statement in his letter that it Is
wholly unthinkable that the Railroad
Labor Board can be made ii useful
agency of the Government in maintain
ing industrial peace in the railway
service unless employers and workers
are both prompt and unqueSti"ning in
their acceptance of its decisions.
"M:tny men in the service refused to
ioin the strike and in SO doing were
assured of the seniority rights accru-
ing to them and Of the permanence
Of their positions. On some important
lines 50 per cent nr more refused to
Join the strike. To these old loyal en-
ployees have been added thousands
of new men who were employed and
could be secured only upon definite
promise that their services would be
retained regardless of the settlement
of the strike, with all the rights ap-
pertaining to such employment, includ-
ing that of seniority under the working
,lar
proved by the Railroad Labor Board,
"Just the Opposite Effect"
1--WE especially point out that re-
fusal to the old men who remained III
the service and to the new men who
accented service Of the rights of senior
ity incident to their employment would
have just the opposite effect to that de
sired by the President, and would most
seriously discredit the Labor Board.
The board itself prescribed the
rules Of seniority under which the men
referred to have secured their senior
ity rights, and the railroad companies
have neither the legal nor moral right
to deprive these men of those rights.
BY public utterances since the strike
began the board has recognized and
emphasized these rights, and to deny
them now would, instead of upholding
the authority of the Labor Board, over
throw its rules and diScredit its au-
thority.
The Chairman of the Labor Board
at the time the strike was called made
ho
Upon one question the striking en-
ployees should not be deceived Their
leader has said that the strikers
are longer employees of the rail
ways, and they have thus automatic
ally abandoned all the rights they
possess under their agreements and
under the decisions OF the board. in
Guiding their seniority. This is not
the boards action. 1t is their own.
Many carriers are giving their for
mer employees the opportunity to re-
enter the service within a limited
time. 1t must be understood now
that men who remained in the serv-
ice and those who are now entering
it will have rights OF seniority that
the board could not ignore
What the Proposed Plan Means
1T must be understood that any pro-
posal that employees now ON strike
shall be permitted to return to the
service, without impairment to their
seniority, is merely another way OF
suggesting that those men who took
employment in this crisis in good faith,
relying on the promises Of the rail
roads to protect them in their posi-
tions, these promises being justified by
the authoritative utterances of the
Labor Board, and thus have made pos
sible the continued operation of the
railroads, shall now be sacrificed in
favor of men now on strike, who not
only brought about the crisis, but, by
their own action and declaration, are
no longer employees of the railways,
under the Jurisdiction of the United
States Railroad Labor Board, or sub
ject to the application of the Trans
portation act
I'm addition to the necessity of up
holding the Labor Board, and smafn.
tanning the pledges made by the rail
roads to the men now at work, there
is the practical effect on the super
yiSory officers Of q violation of the
pledges they were authorized to make
Their Encouragement and demoraliZa.
ton would be far more disastrous than
this or any other strike"
GUNS ROAR IN DUBLIN