The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-13
JEWELL TELLS
HARDING PAY
CUTS ILLEGAL
Labor Official Replies to Pres
ident S Proclamation-New
Phase Of Grievances OF
Shopmen Opened.
SIX UNIONS SIGN WIRE
tBy Associated Press,


Harding, stating that the presidents
proclamation of July II was based on
incomplete information"
Postmaster General Work informed
President Harding that $4,000 motor
vehicles could be modified within "a
hours to move the mails.
Railway and union officials and rail
labor board members apparently sus-
pended peace activities temporarily.
II was announced that strike orders
are being sent out to the clerks on
the Chesapeake and Ohio.
Two alleged strikebreakers were
seized by a band at Dennison, Texas,
lectured and told to leave the state.
The Baltimore and Ohio annulled
eight passenger trains between Chi.
cago and the east.
Several strikebreakers and guards
were injured and four missing after a
raid on the roundhouse at Orroille,
Calf.
WASHINGTON, July 13.-orders
may be issued by the war department
some time today for the movement of
troops to certain localities where dis
orders have occurred in connection.
with the railroad strike, Secretary
Weeks indicated at / o'clock as he
left the White House after a confer
ence with the president on the situa-
ton. Definite announcement the sec
retary said would be made at 8 D. m.
today as to whether troop movement
orders would be issued.
CHICAGO, July 13.-Railway peace
activities, which loomed large on the
81,
cepubly today while rail executives,
union leaders and labor board mem
bers awaited developments. Chair
man Hooper, of the labor board, was
in private conference with railroad
presidents again today. however, fol-
lowing the flat refusal of a commit
tee from the carriers to talk to the
strikers SO long as they remained
away from the shop.
Mr.. Hooper declined to discuss his
plans but B. NJ. Jewell, the strike lead
er declared he believe the roads would
soon relent and get down to business
with the strikers representatives.
telegram to President Harding
signed by Mr.. Jewell and by the six in
ternational shopcraft unions now on
strike sought to summarize the shop
workers grievances and was in reply
to the White House proclamation is
sued Tuesday. The telegram said the
strike was based on the unjust low
wages" fixed by the board in viola
ton OF the transportation act" and
against the alleged refusal of rail-
roads to obey labor board orders in
104 cases.
The strikers insisted that no In.
terruption of commerce or in.erfer-
10 hol
by an unlawful act by the shopmen.
The telegram laid such interference
directly to the attempt of the railroads
to operate with incompetent work
men. President Jewell and his asso-
ciates reiterated their desire to CO.
operate in any effort to bring peace.
but declared that up to the present
the rail executives had refused to
meet representatives of the employees.
Text of Telegram
The text follows:
1T appears from your proclamation
OF July II that incomplete information
has been furnished you concerning the
present dispute between the railroad
operators and employees.
Ninety two railroads have violated
transportation acts or decisions of the
railroad labor board in 1O4 cases.
These involved not only contracting
out work in shops but also wage de-
creases, interpretations of rules and
right of employees to elect their own
representatives. When the Pennsyl-
vania railroad refused to comply with
the boards rulings, Federal JuIge
Page held that the boards position
on wages or rules was only advisory.
The railroads have refused ever since
passage of the transportation act to
establish national boards of adjust
ment described by the labor board as
the central part of the machinery to
decide disputes between the carriers
and their employees
The railroads have made all nego.
tlatlons merely formal, thus throwing
on the board an impossible burden of
arbitration The board has abolished
avertlme pay for Sundays and holi-
days, enjoyed for thirty years even on
unorganized roads The board has
established rate of pay of $500 a
year through the department of labor
fixed the bare cost of living at over
S1400 and a minimum comfort budget
at over $4,000.
Says Roads Offended
When the basic wage is unjust it
follows that all wages graded upward
| for skill and responsibility are like
wise unjust. Organized employees
support your declaration of May 25,
1921, that the lowest wage would not
be enough for comfort and insure that
the struggle for existence shall not
crowd out things purely worth living
for and should provide for amuse-
ment, recreation and savings. EN-
ployeS have never violated any deci-
sion of the board, but the railroads
have violated decisions and employees
have refused to work under wages
fixed by the labor board, which vio-
lated provisions Of the transportation
act
The board has attempted to unload
! financial burdens of railroad manage
ment upon employees through made
quate wages and will undermine the
health and prosperity of the next gen.
Grafton. After exhausting all other
methods, the employees sought again
to obtain conference and agreement