The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1922-08-10
Tell President Harding Old and
"a New Men Must Be Protected
k,a In Strike Settlement.
hT 4 MATTER OF CHOICE
Faithful Employees Have Both Legal
and Moral Rights 70 Seniority
and Other Benefits.

ply made by railway executives rep
resentlng more than 1S0 Glass rail.
roads Of the United States to the prop
osition of President Harding that 'ull
strikers be returned to their work and
their former positions with seniority
and other rights unimpaired," lies In
the last paragraph from their reply TO
the President as follows:
1T is submitted that the striking
former employees cannot be given
preference to employees at present
In the service without doing vio-
lence to every principle OF right
and justice involved In this mat
ter, and without the grossest
breach Of faith on the part Of the
railroads to the men at present in
their service.
Under these circumstances. II
becomes apparent that the railroads
cannot consider any settlement OF
the present strike which does not
provide protection In their present
employment both to the loyal EN-
ployes who remained In the serv-
ice and to the new employees en-
tering It."
The executives had accepted the
first two conditions proposed BY the
President, namely, that both employers
and employees accept the decisions Of
the Labor Board. and that all law suits
growing out Of the strike he with
drawn; and in relation to the third
condition spoke not only as quoted
above, but also MS follows:
Agree With the President.
'The railroad executives and mr1.
ayers agree entirely with the Presi-
dents statement In his letter that It IS
wholly unthlnkable that the Railroad
Labor Board can be made useful
agency of the government In maintain
Ing Industrial peace In the railway
service unless employers and workers
are both prompt and unquestionlng In
their acceptance Of its decisions.
MANY men In the service refused to
Join the strike, and In so doing were
assured Of the seniority rights accruins
to them and Of the permanence Of
their positions. On some Important
lines so per cent or more refused to
Join the strike. To these old loyal EN-.
ploy9s have been added thousands ct
new men who were employed and could
be secured only upon definite prom
ise that their services would be re-
tained regardless Of the settlement OF
the strike, with all the rights apper.
tanning to such employment, including
that of seniority under the working
rules and regulations previously ap-
proved by the Railroad Labor Board.
"Just the Opposite Effect"
"We especially point out that a re.
fusal to the old men who remained In
the service and to the new men who
accepted service Of the rights of senior.
ity incident to their employment would
have Just the opposite effect to that de.
sired by the President, and would most
seriously discredlt the Labor Board.
"The board Itself prescribed the
rules of seniority under which the men
referred to have secured their senior.
ity rights, and the railroad companies
have neither the legal or moral right
10 deprive these men Of those rights.
BY public utterances since the strike
began the board has recognized and
emphasized these rights. and to deny
them now would instead of upho!dlng
the authoH Hiyof the labor board, over
throw Its rules and dlscredlt Its au-
thority.
"The chairman OF the labor board ut
the time the strike was called made
the following public statement:
Upon one question the striking
employees should not be deceived.
Their leader has said that the
strikers are no longer employees Of
the railways. and they have thus
automatically abandoned all the
rights they possess under their
agreements and under the decisions
OF tts board. including their se-
aats1t sasn il Tsii T. satr not Swn. the boards a''
yf3any carriers are giving their
.LSfc6er employees the opportunity to
ynSsrT the service within linn.
ynme. II must be understood
g,desT that men who remained In the
w Lice and those who are now en-
Sesng II will have rights Of senior
Tfsy that the board could not ig-
more"
WI at the Proposed Plan Means.
"But It must be understood that any
proposal that employees now on strike
shall be permitted to return to the
service, without Impairment Of their
seniority, Is merely another way Of
suggesting that those men who took
employ ment In the crisis In good faith,
relying on the promises Of the rail.
roads to protect them In their posi-.
tions, these promises being justified
by the authoritative utterances Of the
labor board. and thus have made pos
slble the continued operation Of the
- railroads, shall now be sacrificed In
= favor of men now on strike, who not