The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-08

here as likely to carry much
weight with public opinion. One
railroad executive for instance,
says acceptance Of the jurisdiction
Of the labor board on the seniority
dispute is simply an outright sur
render. The shopmen are saying
that to submit the question to the
labor board is to submit it to a
prejudiced court because the chair
man Of the board has already pre-
dicted in public statement that
the board could not afford in the
future to disregard the rights Of
those workers who had refused to
60 out on strike.
Each side in other words Is
afraid the decision of the labor
board will be adverse. Yet the labor
board is in q better position to work
out a compromise satisfactory to
shOpmen and executives when once
the strikers are back at work than
is the president or even the repre-
sentatives Of both sides in the en-
FILTERED frame Of mind in which
they find themselves At present.
Executves~HolA WHY.
The railroad executives, however,
hold the whip hand. There is no
law which can compel them to take
any individual back to work who
has once left the employ of the
roads. Nor is there any law by
which the government can compel
the strikers to go back to work if
their leaders feel that the shopmen
will be deprived Of seniority rights.
Yet the processes by which con-
gress has gradually acquired con-
troll Of the income of railroads
through freight rates regulation is
such that the government can set
up a system Of preferences for those
railroads which obey as against
those which disobey the transporta-
ton act. The leverage to compel
obedience on the part of the roads
is greater than Is possible to exert
with strikers except that constitu-
tional lawyers in scOngress believe
the conspiracy statutes can be
broadened SO that q concerted effort
to persuade MEN to leave the en-
ploy of railroads in violation of de-
cisions OF the labor board can be
made punishable. 1f>the leaders of
a labor organization were made
subject to penalties for interruption
to interstate commerce the feeling
is that a transportation tieup would
not occur as frequently in the fu-
turc as in the past
Washington b Blue.
Although Washington y rather
blue today because the first state
meats from both aides in the con-
troyersy appear unfavorable. there
is no loss OF hope that between now
and the end Of the week the rail-
road executives and labor leaders
will see that they are simply goad-
ing the government to more drastic
action ali the time which In the end
will bring on restrictive legislation
that neither side will enjoy.
The optimists here zee In the first
comments of the shopmen . change
of tactics from what occurred when
Mr.. Harding mede his flrst propos.
ais. The shopmen accepted too
quickly, in fact SO soon that the
railroad executives regarded the
proposal ~ one sided and made at
the instance OF labor. Now It looks
"a IL the railroad executives, al
though protesting their dislike Of
he proposal, viii make . gesture
Of disapproval but Will accept the
suggestion OF the president with the
proviso, Of course, that they remain
the Judges Of which men they take
back into their employ. They can
not be forced to take Ill strikers
hack unless the unions make It Z
reason for preventing the return Of
any strikers or unless the transpof-
tation systemss Of the country BE-
come tied MP through the sympa-
fhetic action Of the brotherhoods in
refusing to take out what may seem
to them detective locomotives and
equipment.
The situation II drifting for thu
moment but conservative opinion
here ID that neitAer side can afford
| to reject President Harding's lat
est compromise without proving the
insincerity Of the flrst acceptancei
| 81 railroad sRaeatives and shop
men OF The proposal Tat aH decie-
icne ~ ~ iah6k hard win Be rec
lognixed q valte4
So DR. = Tho 1aflsosd nseutvsl