Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-10-29
SANTA FE WILL
REH|RE MEN WHO
WENT ON STRIKE
May Return as New En-
pIoyes if Their Conduct
Has Been Such as Not to
Make Them Undesirable.

While, according to President W.
B. Storey, the strike of shopmen
on the Santa Fe system is over aud
the company in most places has
more men than before the trouble
started July 1, strikers may return
as new employees when there are
vacancies for them, provided al
ways that they have not been guilty
of conduct that would make them
undesirable as employees, according
to statement made by Mr.. Storey.
The statement follows:
THE charge made by the union
leaders that the strike was the
work of the railroad managements
is unqualifiedly false.
1--WE do not believe in strikes
and we believe the strike weapon
should not be used on the railroad,
not because there is anything
sacred about a railroad or the
money invested in it, but because
because of the fact that while the
railroad and the strikers may suf-
fer heavy losses the greatest loss
must fall on the public.
''At no time has the Santa Fe
precipitated a strike.
'The telegraphers' strike in 1900
was declared by the telegraphers
on the Santa Fe proper two months
after an agreement had been
signed covering all points of diff
ference and to run for one year
and thereafter until changed in the
usual manner. The committee on
the Gulf Lines had been unable to
agree on a schedule and as a con-
sequence struck to enforce their
demands. The organization on
other parts of the system struck
in sympathy with the Gulf en-
ployes. On being confronted with
the agreement, we were told that
everyone knew that an agreement
of that kind was made to be broken
under such circumstances. We
answered that if an agreement
could not be made that was bind
ing we would make no more agree
ments with such a body. In two
weeks the road was moving nor
mally and thereafter we made no
ai6lNCiiltIlLo Will lllV oldSl Va
way Telegraphers until the road
came under federal control and we
were instructed from Washington
to do so.e
Strike of 1904.
"The next strike that disturbed
the serenity of the Santa Fe fam
lily was the shopmen's strike of
1904 In that case The Interna-
tional Association of Machinists
presented proposed agreement
and asked us to sign on the dotted
line. We declined on the ground,
among other reasons that it prac-
ticClly required a closed shop. 1t
was bitterly fought and was not de-
clared off for several years.
"After that strike we lived in
peace and harmony with our en-
ployes up to the time of the pres
ent strike, not counting the out
law switchmen's strike of 1920.
when the government took over
the road in 1918 it made an agree
ment for us covering wages, rules
and working conditions, and when
the road came back to us after
government control the decisions
Of the labor board required us to
continue that agreement. We have
tried to live up to it exactly in con-
formity with it's letter and spirit.
We believe there are certain things
about the agreement that are un-
just to us, but we are willing to
leave the decision to the labor
board and we will abide in all
cases by it's decisions because we
believe its decisions are more apt
in the main to do justice to all
parties (Which includes the pub
lic), than our own opinion. which
would necessarily be influenced by
necessities of the railroad.
Roads Prcdicament.
'When the railroad came back
to us after federal control applf-
cations were pending for increases.
in wages, The labor board, after
due consideration, granted increas-
es all along the line that ranged
from 20 to 25 per cent. The rail-
roads put these full rates into ef-
feet and then asked the interstate