The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-12
SOUTHERN
RAILWAYS
POSITION
President Harrison
NJ a k e S Statement
Relative t O Shop
mems Strike

ul0II > OIL lhS
Washington, Aug. s.-Fairfax
Harrison, president of the South
ern railway, appealed to all en-
ployees of the railroad system to-
day to assist the management in
performing its duty to the public
and to the company. The railroad
executive declared the Southern
railway had "rnore than fulfilled
its duty to striking shop employees
in endeavoring to get them to re-
sumo work under terms Of Presi-
dent Harding's strike settlement
offer, which was rejected by the
shop crafts committee today.
In rejecting the offer the shop
mems representatives told the
railway executives in conference
here that the strike was national
and must be settled 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 We're willing to agree to a
strike settlement under President
Harding's terms, which left senior
ity unimpaired until the railroad
labor board acted.
Mr.. Harriscn's statement, ad-
dressed "to all employees of the
Southern railway system follows:
.1 have delayed communicating
with you, hoping that l could fl
nally report that our shop crafts
had returned unembarrassed to
their former positions. Striving
for this result, no conditions have
been created to prevent the return
Of our men with seniority rights un-
impaired. but the door has been,
and now is, open and unobstructed
to them.
fOn August I your shop crafts
committee was invited. to confer
with out officials to consider the
return of our men upon the terms
proposed by the president on July
81, and subsequently accepted ty
the representatives of such crafts.
After delaying answer until August.
3, the committee agreed to meet
our officials on August 5. on which
day they asked postpenement to
August Z, and then asked further
postponement to today. Though
recognizing the efforts of this COM
pany in the protection Of the semi
ority of our men, we are told this
morning by your committee that
they will make no adjustment with
the Southern railway system, as the
strike is national and must be set
tied nationally.
.HOur duty is to our employees.
the public and the company. the
duty to our striking employees we
have more than fulfilled, and I now
call upon you. whatever is your oc-
cupation. to assist the manage
ment in performing Its duty. also
to the public and to the company.
This obligation calls for unimpair-
ed transportation service and this
we will perform .
Mr.. Miller, vice president in
charge of operation for the South
ern. had nothing to add to Mr..
Harrison's message, when asked if
the railroad now intended to en-
ploy new men and attempt to
break the strike. The Southern
acting outside the Association Of
Railway Executives. accepted Pres
ident Harding's original offer to
settle the strike. by giving all strlk-
ers seniority rights on their return.
During the course of the contro-
versy it has hired no new men and
has made no attempt to break the
strike.
Mr.. Miller made the following
statement: After delaying nego-
tiations for week, the shop crafts
committee of the Southern railway
system and Mobile & Ohio railway
today advised the officers of those
companies that they will not make
any adjustment of the strike with
the Southern or the Mobile & Ohio.
as the strike is national and must
be settled nationally. In saying
this they recognized that the South
ern and the Mobile & Ohio railway
have kept the door open in the
matter of seniority and have agreed
to the other terms which were pro-
posed by the president July 81 and
We're subsequent: accepted by the
national representatives of the
shop crafts. SO that there is now
no obstacle to settlement created
or maintained by the management
of the Southern or the Mobile &
Chic
NO CONTRACT YET