Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-03
Norwich. Thursday. Aug. 8. 1929.
CIRCULATION WEEK ENDING JULY 18th, 1922
 11,65O
THE BAIL STRIKE ISSUE.

Although the strike of the railway shopmen was brought on other grounds, the question of seniority rights for the strikers. they are to be taken back, has now pushed all other questions into the background. What the shopmen pro- fssssd to strike for they no longer even claim l. Is a confession that the strike ought never to have been ordered. for the questions which the shopmen claim ed to be at issue could have been settled by what they now agree to. This in- cludss their agreement to accept, at least temporarily. the cut in wages against which they struck on July 1, and to sub nit to a re-hearing before the railroad labor board, whose authority they once epenly fouted but now agree to recog- nize ana whose decision they agree to abide by It Is a large gain for the public that both sides. railroad managers and shopmen. agree to abide by the de- cision of the governmental agency set up to deal with all labor disputes on the railroads and thereby prevent use- less and needless strikes.
 The plain truth is that the shopmen are anxious to get their places back and
 
 can make. For the past week the criti- cal point has been on the matter of sem iority rights. Should the strikers suffer any penalty for having left their work? What of the men who stayed faithfully in the shops? Should they benefit by their loyalty2 What of the promises made by the railway executives to those who came in to fill the places in the shops and keep the railroads running?
 # labor leaders can. at will. pull men n and out Of the shops without loss to the workers. in industries having such a large bearing upon the public welfare, even when there are no gains, the disci- pline upon which the smooth working of The industrial machine depends will be utterly destroyed. and the country can see ahead of t a breakdown far more calamitous than anything that can be expected to result from the refusal of the railway heads to yield in this in stance.
 The proposal of President Harding that all the strikers be allowed to go back to their work with seniority and other rights unimpaired" would be vir- tuaIly penaIizing those men who remain % la4iNG444f dL WOTh anu thus lnQlcdIeQ their allegiance to the government agen- -y set up 10 handle such situations on ths railroads As a matter of fact there is not much doubt as to who has won or is about to win the strike. The rail- roads are functioning, although not per- iectly and if let alone the railway exc rutives claim they will be able to have their shops running to capacity in a short time.
 The railway executives have taken the position they have for two reasons, for one thing their personal honor is at stake. but they also realize the vital na- ture of the fundamental questions in- volvsd. and they are facing the issue with some of the courage which will be found in other ranks and places if the time for a showdown as to whether or not this is to be a country dominated by Inc groups which assert the most force aas actually come. Fortunately, the rIecutives' acceptance of the main pro- posal made by the president-that of the acceptance of the authority of the rail- road labor board-leaves the matter 'pen for further discussion.