Evening star., 1922-07-16


the transportation act. SO as to rem
edy faults which have been shown to
exist through development OF the
present troubled railroad labor situa-
ton.
Would Set Fair Wage.
Senator Cummins indicated that the
statute SO as to guarantee a fair liv-
ing wage to railroad workers. and a
second endeavor would be to provide
penalties for violation either by rail-
roads or by workers of the orders of
the Railroad Labor Board. The lat
ter, however, will not be attempted
during the present strike. 1t was
considered significant that Chairman
Cummins' determination should fol-
low closely on the conference which
he held Friday evening with the
President.
AS Indicating the growing serious
ness of the strike situation, Postmas-
ter General Work announced the In
auguration of motor truck transpor-
tation of mails. the new method hav-
ing been instituted between BEDFORD
and Switz City, Ind, between which
two points all mail trains have been
annulled. on account of the strike.
The White House statement given
out after the conference between
President Harding and Messrs.
Cradle and Feick said:
az. F. Cradle. president of the
United Brotherhood of Maintenance
of Way Employees and Railway Shop
Laborers, and Fred L. Feick. legisla-
tive representative of the same or
ganization, spent two hours this
morning in conference with the
They brought to the President the first
personal and official protest that the
railway managers were ignoring the
decisions of the Railroad Labor Board,
and presented their objections to the
decision of the board relating to the
appeals Of that brotherhood.
1.-The President gave the fullest
possible hearing and assured Messrs
Cradle and Feick that they had taken
the one defensible course in present.
ing their case.
He assured them that inasmuch
as Congress had constituted the Rail-
road La Dor Board for the express pur-
pose of settling disputes and pre-
venting Interruptions to transporta-
tions, all decisions must be accepted
by employers and employees alike, and
assured them also that non-compli-
been brought to his attention until
the strike was called.
Remedy Lies In Congress.
He explained that any inadequacy
in the law must be corrected by Con-
gress and cannot be effected by In
terrupting railway operations.
''Messrs Cradle and Feick express
ed hope for an early settlement and
declared that the proper conferences
President assured them that every
possible conference was being
sought"
Before leaving for Detroit and
after announcing the call for a meet
ing of his organizations officers. Mr..
Cradle had this to say as to his con-
ference with the President:
Our primary reason for seeing the
President was to impress upon him
the necessity of calling a conference
between Mr. Jewell and the railroad
executives in order to stop the
Is the only way to ease the situation
and I believe IL would be effective
THE situation has become acute all
over the country and we laid before
the President lot of facts. many of
which he said had never come TO his
attention. This was the first direct
protest we have made to Mr.. Harding,
with the exception of a visit I made
to him three months ago to discuss
the cutting of wages. The President
censured us for not coming sooner
and laying these facts before him."
President Backs Board.
The Chief Executive did no: indi-
cate whether such a conference as
that suggested would be called, Mr.
Cradle said. The labor chieftain said
the President pointed to the several
tration, that, as q governmental body,
the decisions of the Railroad Board
would be supported by the govern
ment to the limit and that any change
in the law as laid down by the board
was up to Congress.
Mr.. Cradle expressed dissatisfaction
that President Harding had not ear
lier directed the Labor Board toward
an agreement between the employees
and the railroads.
He is not reluctant to tell the
Senate and the House of Representa-
tives what to do, but has not so di-
rected the board" Mr.. Gtable COM
mented.
The union official stressed the feel
ing of the maintenance of way men
that the public is too quick to protest
when the employees take action
against the boards rulings. Viola.
tions by the railroad managers, he
said, go unprotected, because their
action hurts only the workmen, but
when the men take strong action
against rulings they do not like the
public protests Immediately because
they are hit hardest then.
Mr. Cradle would not forecast the
EpECTAY. NnTTnEc