The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-19
Defense, Of. Striking shopmen
Mr.. Lewis M. Rice,,
Editor Union Times,

Union, 8. @,
Dear Mr.. Ricek
We agree on 4 great many subjects
and I read all Of your editorials with
a great deal Of interest and aml
sorry that we have such different
views with reference to the railroad
strike. I have read the editorials in|
The State, Columbia Record, Spartan
burg Journal, Greenville News and
The Union Times since the strike las
been in progress and invariably they
all denounce the striking shop crafts
and in many instances it seems to be
the desire of The editors to mould
public opinion against the men who
are on strike and to rlace them in ihe
light of outlaws, ,desperadoes or Grim
inals. In your editorial you make the
statement that the unions in The
North and Northwest are controlled
by foreign element. This is not foir
statement, for they are not. Who
ever heard of the name of Lee, Stone,
Jewell, Fitzgerald or Manion beng
called foreignf Of course there are
a few foreigners working as shop
men in the North, South, East and
West but as to the unions being con-
trolled by foreigners this is not a
statement of facts as they are not
controlled or dominated by foreigners.
You make the statement that the
Southern Railway met all the de-
mands of the strikers, which is not
fact, as they only agreed to the plan
cf settlement as suggested by Presi-
dent Harding, and as an editor yo,
should know that the striking shop
men could not accept the offer of the
Southern Railway on account of the
strike being nationwide affair and
all dealings between the striking
shopnen and the railroad executives
has been done for the past four years
through some government agency
such rs the Labor Board and has
len on the basis of collective bargain
ing and this method his been ap-
proved by the United States govern
r,ent. You do not mention that the
shop crafts have already accepted two
cuts in pay and that the strike was
to prevent another. There arc a few
question I would like to have answer
cd correctly. and | think if they are
answered correctly it will have te1!-
dency to place the shopmcn and rail
road men in different light before
the public.
WHO instituted the Railway Labor
Poa1d?
Who selected the Railway Labor
Board?
What is the former occupation Of
the Railway Labor Board?
How have the Railway Executives
regarded the rul ms of the Railway
Labor Board?
Is it or is itl lot fact that the
present strike ps brought about
principally by Il railroad executives
openly and faa ntly violating the
rulings of the la11 board to the detri-
ment OF the stFi}y 6g Fk0pmen?
Is it not a fa{ I that the shopmen
were receiving wage 25 per cent
under the figure COMPILED by the De:
rartment of Commerce and Labor as
heing necessary for not only the shop
men but for all other classes 30 live?
Have the railway execu ives ever
violated the rulings of the Labu:
BOARD? If so, in how manv cases
and hv how many roads?
Did you ever hear of the Railroa !
Labor Board calling the railway ex.
ecutives outlaws on account of .neSe
violations?
If you get right down to the mill,
in the cocoanut is it not n fact thar
r"act'c;.'lv every railroad in the Unit
cd States is overcapitalized aad bond
cd from one hundred to one Thousand
per cent and is this not the real rca-
son that freight rates are high?
Has not the cut already made by
the railroads in wages of their en-
ployees and accepted by them been
nearly IHIee tiIieS IIloie III nloileN
value than enough to offset the slight
reduction made in freight rates?
What percentage of the food stuffs
live stock, and country produce raised
by the farmers of this country is con.
sumed by the railroad employees OF
the United States? (These figures are
available).
What effect would it have on the
price Of foodstuffs and farm produce
produced by the farmer if the rail-
road employees unions were crushed!
and they were placed on starvation
wages?
worked for railroad for ten
years and can truthfully say that
any man working for the railroads
earns every dollar he receives, re-
gardless Of what he is doing, unless
it be some of some banker who holds
such an amount Of bonds of the road
that he can place this son in an execu-
tive position at an exhorbitant and
cxtravagant salary and / will say
here that there are great many Of
these favored sons holding executive