Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-08-11
AGAINST SEPARATE PEACE.
Southern Shopmcn Reject Offer OF the
Southern.

Southern.
Washington, August s. Fairfax
Harrison, president Of the Southern
railway, appealed to all employees OF
the railroad system today to assist the
management in performing it's duty to
the public and to the company. The
railroad executive declared the South
ern railway had 'more than fulfilled
it's duty to striking shop employees IN
endeavoring to get them to resume
work under terms Of President Hard
ing's strike settlement offer, which was
rejected by the shop crafts committee
today
In rejecting the offer the shopmen's
representatives told the railway exc
cutives in conference here that the
strike was national and must be set
tied nationally. The conference was
called at the request of Vice President
Miller Of the Southern railway and the
shopmen were informed that the
Southern railway and the Mobile &
Ohio were willing to agree to strike
settlement under President Harding's S
terms, which Left seniority unimpaircd
until the railroad labor board acted.
Mr.. Harrson's statement, addressed
ito all the employees of the Southern
railway system" follows:
az have delayed communicating with
you, hoping that 1 could finally report
that our shop crafts had returned un-
embarrassed to their former positions.
Striving for this result, no conditions
have been created to prevent the re-
turn of our men with seniority rights
unimpaired, but the door has been, and
now is, open and unobstructcd to
them.
"On August your shop crafts COM
mittce was invited to confer with our
officials to consider the return of our
men upon the terms proposed by the
president on July 81, and subsequently
accepted by the representatives of
such crafts. After delaying answer
until August 3, the committee agreed
to meet our officials on August D, on
which day they asked postponement to
August 7, and then asked further post
ponement to today. Though rccogniz-
ing the efforts of this company in the
protection of the seniority rights OF
our men, we are told this morning by
Lnt will tyc
no adjustment with the Southern rail-
way, rs the strike is national and must
bc settled nationally.
Our duty is to our employees, the
public and the company; the duty to
our striking employees we have more
than fulfilled, and ] now call upon you,
wEatcv.r is your occupation. to assist
the management in performing its
duty. also to the public and to the
company. This obligation calls for un-
impaired transportation service and
this service we will perform"
Mr.. Miller, vice president in charge
of operation for the Southern, had
nothing to add to Mr.. Harrison's mes
sage when asked if the railroad now
intended to employ new men and at
tempt TO break the strike. The South
ern, acting outside the Association OF
Railroad Executives, accepted PrcSi-
dent HardinS's original offer to settle
the strike. by giving all strikers re-
.;Crl, ,.i, ,,u
the course of the controversy it has
hired no new men and has made nc
attempt 10 break the strike.
Mr.. Miller made the following state
mcnt: after delaying negotiations for
q week, the shop crafts committee oi
the Southern railway system and the
Mobile and Ohio railway today advised
the officers OF those companies that
they VIII not make any adjustment OF
the strike with the Southern or tho
Mobile & Ohio, as the strike is ma
tioral and must bc settled nationally
In saying this they recognized that
the Southern and the Mobile & Ohio
railways have kept the door open in
the matter Of seniority and have agreed
to the other terms which were pro-
posed hv the president July 81 and
were subsequently accepted by the ma
tional representatives of the shoI
crafts, so that there is now no obsta-
Gle TO settlement created or maintain
! cd hv thC management of the South.
crn or the Mobile & Ohio"