The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-07-03

a provision in the law which would
make strikes unlawful This was not
finally adopted. There is therefore no
penalty for violating the decisions of
the United States railroad labor board.
Really the Government
Much. significance, however, may be
attached to a White House declaration
that the United States labor board is
the agency OF the government and that
when the board speaks the government
speaks. Taken literally this would
mean the arrest for contempt of all the
strike leaders who have refused to obey
The summons to appear before the
board
II is not vet certain how far the
President is willing TO 90 TO use lcgstt
force to compel respect for the decisions
of the labor board. In general terms he
has Indicated that the full weight OF
government authority was back of the
board, Recent DECISIONS IN the fededrai
court have admitted the constitutions
atty oil the transportation act with
reference to the jurisdiction of the
United States railroad labor board and
have stated fatty that unquestionably
the government would invoke its powers
to enforce decisions even though specific
penalties for violation of decisions
hadn't been provided by congress. The
right to strike IS not questioned but
the right to strike on a public utility
affecting the nations food supply is
considered by government lawyers to
be quite another phase of the matter.
Union Men May See Trouble
One thing Is sure-the railroad labor
leaders who have refused to obey the
summons To appear before the labor
board VIII find themselves in trouble
Unless they come into session with that
board they viii discover that they have
started something which may hurt rail
road labor in the end
Mr.. Harding would not hesitate to
compel obedience bv means of general
statutes regarding the interruption of
interstate commerce and hints of "dras-
tic action" have been heard in official
quarters But the danger to the cause
Of the railway unions Is the prospect OF
forcing action By congress to prohibit
railway strikes and making it unlawful
conspiracy for leaders to incite men to
stop work on the nations transporta-
tion system. Should a crisis develop
such plea to congress for ''ded legis-
lation would become Inevitable.
The president knows of course that
the men who will strike are too few in
number to tie up the country railroads
but the question Is whether he can at
ford to let the decisions of the United
States railroad labor board go unheeded.
If he does, the railroad executives viii
be likely to follow the precedent. They
too have tried to evade the decisions of
the board but invariably have been
brought into line bv a show of govern
ment authority or through the medium
of legal advisers who have seen that it
was unwise to fight the government.
A Critical Situation
1t Is a critical moment again in the
life of the labor board The episode
last autumn is not comparable to the
present controversy for now decision
has been rendered and the railway en-
ploycs dent like it and are striking
rather than accept it. If the govern
ment backs down and lets the strike 20
on in defiance of the labor board. the
usefulness Of that te]v viii be seri-
ously questioned Mr. Harding feels
that the labor board is the result of
elaborate judgment of congress and
that congress wanted to set up body
with sufficient moral power to prevent
strikes and if that failed more drastic
powers would be invoked either through
interpretations of existing broad general
laws ON the question of Interstate com
merce or bv asking congress TO put
teeth in the TRANSPORTATION act.