, 1922-07-06
BOARD OF TRADE
DESIRES HARMONY
MEETING OF BUSINESS AND PR0FES.
SlONAL MEN DISCUSSED LOCAL
LABOR CONDITIONS

When the Union Pacific railroad
commenced the erection OF an I'M
slightly "stockade" in Rawlins which
~j!l consist of a high board fence
al"to:ndiEs the shops, round house
mo rRrt of the tracks, it became
N!dent that the company was pre-
pairing for a lorg irawr-Iut strug-
gle with Its former shop employees or
any other branch Of railroad labor
with which a dispute over wages or
working conditions might arise.
The Rawlins Board of Trade, re-
GREETING keenly this industrial dis
sension in this peaceful and prosper
GUS community, and deploring the
building OF this fence, called a meet
ing yesterday afternoon at the Court
House. to which officials of the
Union Pacific System and all local
employees Of the railroad. whether
working or not, were invited. Both
factions responded to the invitation
with the result that the Board of
Trade had a crowded court room
when President Fred w. Rendlo
called the meeting to order.
Mr.. Rendle first called upon Cen
eral Manager w. NJ. LETTERS, OF
Omaha, for an expression of the at
titude of his company in the present
controversy. Mr.. Jeffers responded
in a few brief but forceful remarks,
in which he said that the railroad
was anxious to have all of the old
employees return to work at once. but
added that he IA instructed to
keep the road open and the trains
running and that he proposed to do
so at any cost. He added hat all
men who left the service of the COM
pany last Saturday must return to
duty, or register for their regular
shifts, not later than Saturday. July
g., at 3 p. M, in order to retain their
pension and seniority rights. The
speaker declared that this was the
company's ultimatum, calling atten-
ton to the fact hat the men who
had left the service Of the Union
Pacific had done so in defiance of
the rulings OF a department of the
United States government. Super
intendent woodruff, Of Cheyenne.
was also present al the meeting but
did not speak.
The chairman then called upon
the railroad men and asked any of
them to feel at liberty to AXE the
floor and present the side of the
shop men for the benefit of all and
in order that q full understanding of
both sides Of the argument might be
heard. There was no response to the
invitation.
Other speakers who addressed the
meeting were N. R. Greenfield, w.
W. Daley, DR.. E. A. Kell and Will
lam Daley. Each Of these gentle
mar spoke from the standpoint of
loyal Rawlins citizens and taxpayers
and took a calm, dispos5ionate and
neutral position as far as the merits
of the controversy between the rail-
roads and the shopmen were con-
cerned, but all expressed a deep and
abiding conviction that the rights of
the general public must be respected
and protected and that the strong
arm of the federal government must
be upheld by all patriotic men.
DR.. Kell, as Mayor of Rawlins,
was asked to state the city's posi-
ton in the present instance, which
he did in a firm and convincing
manner He said that there would
be no violence permitted or con-
doned, on either side, that the right
of the railroad company to operate
its trains and maintain it's service to
the public would be jealousy safe
guarded and that the i%nalienable
right of any man to work, or to quit
work. would be upheld within the
city of Rawlins.
Chairman Rendle closed the meet
ing with a few remarks to the ef-
feet that he considered that he ex-
pressed the sentiment of all when
he hoped that the present crisis In
the railroad and industrial world
would be safely passed and that the
two parties to the wage controversy
would get together Soon and settle
all differences 20 that the wheels Of
industry might revolve peaceably
once more
AL JOI4ON VISITS