New-York tribune., 1922-08-14
Santa Fe Calls Train
Desertio,s a Conspiracy
Sympathetic Walk.Out Result
OF Union Adpice and Excuses
Mere Pretexts, " ellis Declares

CHICAGO. Aug. 1a-The action Of
members of the "Big Four" brother
hoods in abandoning through passenger
trains at Needles, Calif., Barstow, Calf,
and Seligman, AriG., was denounced TO-
night as deliberate conspiracy,
violation OF their solemn agreements
with the railroad and an inhuman act
by A. G. Wells, vice-president of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.
"None of the reasons given for these
| lawless acts is valid" Mr.. Wells de-
clared. ''The Santa Fe has asked no
man to take out unsafe equipment
1t has no unsafe equipment and has
been and is literally meeting ell re-
quirements of the safety appliance act.
Inspectors Of the Bureau of Safety, In
terstate Commerce Commission, have
made many examinations recently Of
the Santa Fe power and have given
the company clean bill of health.
Bomb Throwing Far Removed
"The sympathetic strikers have given
no specifications as to unsafe eouin-
ment OR other unsafe conditions in the
environment where the strike took
place. For justification of their law
less and inhuman conduct at Needles
and other desert places they are
driven to refer to some bomb throwing
lew days ago at San Bernardino, $50
miles away from Needles, where the
trouble has not been Of sort to in
duce train service men to refuse to
perform their accustomed duties, and
which, incidentally, occurred subse-
quent to the calling of the strike at
Needles.
after abandoning trains filled with
people, including aged infirm, women
and children, in the desert, with the
mercury at 120 degrees in the shade,
the strike committee of the big
Four in session at Needles, received
committee Of five representing the
marooned passengers, who asked them
to man the trains to help the sufferers.
They were told that mot damned
wheel would turn until the Santa Fe
removed the guards about it's yards
In addition to the indefensible
treatment Of the passengers, nearly 800
carloads of .pcrishable products be-
longing to farmers are standing at
| needles and other points and are fast
deteriorating.
This sympathetic strike on the
| - AiSo OHiy q conspiracy, DuC
1t is also without the least substantial
just!tication, actual conditions con-
sldered. and is the result of statements
issued by some Of the brotherhood ex-
| ecutives that men could leave work IL
| they considered conditions were haz-
ardous, leaving the men themselves
to be the judges Of whether thew
would work or not, and, in effect. a
practical invitation to them to do what
they have done. / am advised NO re-
ssponsible officer of the Big Four
brotherhoods has been on the ground
at Needles to learn true conditions.
Freight Movement Heaviest Ever
"The Santa Fe received last week
!rom It's connections and moved over
its lines the largest number of Ioaded
freight cars in it's whole history. which
is absolute proof of its perfect physical
condition: The sympathetic and H.
legal strike has been called becaure
the, Santa Fe had won against the
striking employees Of the shopcrafts
The people marooned at Needies
including those whose destinations =
were eastern points, have been startad
back toward Los Angeles on a train
manned by officials which left Needles
| at S:AO this morning.