Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-15
UNIONS CAVE a
HOURS TIME To
RAILWAY SYSTEM
Local ShopCrafts Write
President Harding Deny
ing Unionism'S Blame for
Train Tie-Up.

President w. G. Harding is
being made aware that there are
two opinions here regarding the
railway strike. Passengers on
marooned trains have written
kilograms to the president, in
which they throw the blame for
the strike and the paralyzed con-
dition of traffic on the labor
unions. One Of these kilograms
was published yesterday morning
in The Journal. The shop unions
deny the unions blame. in a let
ter sent yesterday to the presi-
dent. and which is as follows: .
Albuquerque. N. NJ.
August IA, 1922
Warren G. Harding,
president Of the United States
Washington, d. C.
"Dear Mr.. Harding:
1--WE note from press reports of
this morning, that the following
telegram was sent you from a
Mr.. Martin, representing himself
to be a marooned passenger upon
one of the trains now being held
in Albuquerque, on account of
the brotherhoods having with
drawn their services from the
railroad company:
(Here follows a copy of the
letter published in The Journal
yesterday, in which the strikers
are blamed for the railway tie
up, and unionism in general is
attacked)
IN the first place. we want
to challenge Mr.. Martins state
ment that his telegram represents
the sentiment of one thousand
strikebound passengers tied up at
this point, because at the time
his telegram was sent, there were
only eight hundred passengers
being held here, and after care
full canvass among these people,
we do not believe that even ten
per cent would subscribe to the
proposition put before you by Mr..
Martin, had they been given the
opportunity to do so.
"Upon the other hand, we
found among these same people,
strong expressions of sympathy
for the striking shopmen. These
good people evidently realize that
when the shop crafts reluctantly
agreed to accept your proposal of
July 81 that they showed more
than a conciliatory spirit, and
that the continuation of the
strike since that date rests
squarely upon the shoulders Of
the Association of Railway Exec
utives, who insolently and auto
craticalfy refused to- go along
with yotir suggestions.
Gave 24-Hour Notice
considerable has afso been
said in the papers during the past
couple of days relative to the
suffering of the passengers who
are being held at Needles and
other desert points. but in no pa
per have we seen publicity given
the fact that the brotherhood or
ganizations gave the I company
twenty-four hours notice prior to
the hour of withdrawal of their
services, which, il needed, would
have made it possible for the
railroads to have stopped all of
these trains in the mountains or
at other points where the climate
and surroundings would have
been more pleasant. The real
situation is that the company Of
ficials were ready and willing to
have these people marooned at
such a point as Needles, where
the temperature is running 1870.
in order that they might use this
condition of affairs to play upon
the sympathy of 'the public, and
they, and they alone, are re-
sponsible for the sufferings of all
of these people who have been
marooned at desert points.
"Mr. Martin is evidently much
in ignorance as to what consti-
tutes safe equipment, or he would
not have made the charge that
the contention of the brother
hoods that equipment is in un-
safe condition is pure bunk In
this connection, we wonder, Mr..
President, if you know that fed
eral engine inspectors have been
called into various headquarters
recently and told verbally, not to
'be technical relative to inspec-
tions and to temporarily lay aside
the code prescribed by law for
defining defects, and be liberal
in overlooking defects, thus
adopting a policy dangerous to
the railroad employees and the
travelling public.
''lf, as Mr.. Martin states, there
are plenty of retired railroad men
in the United States ready and
willing to take our positions, we
humbly suggest. that no time be
lost in, hiring them. We do not
undertake to state that it would
be unlawful for anyone to take
our places, and realize that any
one has a perfect legal right to
do so, but we must reserve for
ourselves our great American
privilege to withdraw our serv-
ices from the railroads, or from
any other industry. when condi-
tions become so unbearable that
we can no longer agree to work
under them, and that is the exact
situation which brought about
the present strike.
With kindest regards,
Very respectfully yours,
FEDERATED SHOP CRAFTS.
OF ALBUQUERQUE N. M"
Passengers Send Another
The following letter was sent
by passengers maroon
ed here to President Harding,
CONTINUED on Page Two.)
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