Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-26

which tho railway executives wcrc
unwilling and unable to accept.
1t is dii'cult :" imagine any
faircr basis OF compromise than tho
orc DEVELOPED At yesterdays con.
ference and agreed TO by tho car
ricrs represented. 7, must To- as
snm"d. therefore,. that Tho prceon,
nontrovorsy cannot bc settled b.
that method"
shipments Side Of Cn.r
Tn" shopmen. In thei- statement,
said:
Tn. strike occurred because IN.
conditions were in,ol"rabl. to Tho
men, coupled with excessive rrduc-
ton In wages In accepting tho pro-
posal Of President Harding OF july
~ ~ this year. tho representatives
81 tho men involved agreed TO 70
sumption ~ WORK without sc,tlc
ment Of either OF tho tw" remaining
!ssu"s that were originally involved
In tho difficulty. namely. those CON
'"rninS wages and working coud! q
tions
In agreeing To rc.ume work and
20 leave these matters to tn. Rail
road Labor BOARD for rck"uriuy. tn"
'n"n made all the concessions tina,
should IA" required or expected OF
them IN the interest az peace. iu ,h-
industry, the other issues involved Ia
tho STRIKE that OF contracting uut 90
shops aud work having been declared
Illegal by TIA" Railroad Labor Board
and All other government authorities
that considered tn" matter IN"
question OF tho standing Of IN" m~n
on s;rik" rs railroad employers was
not an iSsu" until infected hv tho
railroad mauar"mcuts. aud only h"-
earn" an 'SSue when tho railroad
iusrHEcm"uts refused the terms ~
agreement proposed by rrcsidcn,
Harding
Have Ma Visible Gunrnnter..
ITO accept or submit for accept
aucc tho present proposal thai car
rios no visible guarantee or aSSur-
anC" az tn" protection OF tn" rights
or standing ~ tho mcn as railroad
employees hold by them prior 10 rho
strike and earned hy years Of CON
tinuous and efficient service. would
mean that We asked tn" men on loss
than one-thirh OF Tn. roads affected
20 return 10 work yielding Ia every
demand 90 railroad arrangements. re-
Ccivlug only such standing rs EN-
ployes as might ne granted hy man
Hsrmcuts after their return or later
determined by the commission pro-
vided for in the proposition, and the
employees or less than one-third th"
mileag" now involved returns 10
work under such conditions as would
leave the remaining employees ~ NOR"
than two-thlrds AZ ;ho mileage on,
nf railroad employment, and hy re
turning 10 work would. In that meas
~ tl,,ap nf hn
strike as OF today.
Even on the roads represented
the proportion does not contemplatc
the return to work Of all men on
strike. II only includes those under
the heading Of shop crafts. while 1t
IS known and agreed that many men
Other than those coming under this
de II .natlon are at present on strike.
tnnnnt Recommend Acceptance.
There Is no intent on our part to
question the integrity OF officials ~
roads now comforting. but II must he
obvious 10 all thar action can he
taken only on matters already de-
fined in any OF the propositions made.
our first concern must b" the interest
of all mon involved We. tn" repre-
scntativcs Of the men on strike. can
not recommend to the men their acT
deliberately and consciously sacrifice
ing the interest OF the men involved.
I'VE fully appreciate tho help. in
tercSt and efforts OF the Transports
tiun organization executives In their
capacity ns medlators. and we VIII
regret II II compelled 10 report to
our people that their splendid c'-
forts failed because Of the arbitrary
position taken by the carriers To
produce some clear. concrete propose
ton that We Guild present /" and
could conscicntiously recommend TO
the men we represent for accept
ancc.
Act Of Discipline.
The conference has shown that
the group OF roads which has been
comforting will at present make no
concessions. They stand Arm on the
po.!tion OF the Association OF Rail-
way Executives which refuses SEMI
ority right. This refusal OF senior
ity rights to union men. II is now
clear, is not for the purpose of keep
ing promises 10 strike breakers. but
solely for tho purpose OF discirlininE
their men for a legal and justine d
strike.
This Is a position with which the
men cannot compromise. To get
back under such terms would mean
defeat when as matter Of fact We
are victorious The breakdown of
equipment and the shortage IT cars
and locomotives is now shown by gov
crnme nt statistics. 1t will he obvi-
Gus tn every shipper and farmer dur
ing the next few weeks. We shall
he content to let the condition OF
equipment prove that the railroa dis
cannot operate with unskilled strike
breakers. ana To bring the executives
To u more reasonable frame OF mind,
We hn not blam" IN" more reasonable
executives who HAY" evidently Weld
ed to pressure. We believe the next
few weeks will enable them to bring
home to their hard shcllcd colleaEuea
III. entire railroad situation In its
i grim reality. We can and We viii
fight for our minimum terms and for
n nationwide settlement as long ms
| arrangements can and will.
I'm behalf OF tho publics interest We
havo offered to compromise on every
thing but our existence. Now that
we are compelled to nght our victory
Will bring with It victory on all Is
] sues for which the strike was called"