Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-04-26
THE TRUTH ABOUT
THE RAILROADS
Published by the
brotherhood Of Loco. Engineers
The National Agreement-How j
Mas Made and Why

Railroad executives, in their testi-
mony before various public agencies
and in their published propaganda,
have criticized the so-called National
Agreement covering rules and work
ing conditions for railway employees as
one of the "most disastrous innova-
tions' of the Railroad Administration
under federal control.
The facts, as revealed by the test-
nnony Of Directors General McAdoo
and Hines and their associates are:
% Practically all the rules in the
National Agreement were in force on
the great majority of roads before the
government took over the lines. They
had beeii accepted as reasonable by
railroad officials after negotiations
with representatives Of the employees.
(2) When the National Agreement
was negotiated the Federal railroad
administration was represented by
Of the most prominent railroad presi-
dents in the United States. Surely
these gentlemen did not overlook the
interests Of the railroads.
(3) The National Agreement did
not establish "cIosed shop" Under
it union and non-union men were en-
ployed on terms of absolute equality.
(4) The National Agreement was
a good thing from the governments
point of view.' "The system has fully
justified ITSELF" is the testimony of
both McAdoo and Hines.
Testifying before the Senate Com
mittee on Interstate Commerce, Feb
ruary 1, 1922, William Gibbs McAdoo,
former director general of railroads,
declared that the Irrational Agree
ments gave to all railroad workers
rules and working conditions that were
enjoyed by large number Of workers
prior to federal control"
In report made to the president,
March l, 1920, Walker D. Hines, then
director general of railroads, said:
"Various orders of the Director Gen
era! have established reasonable rules
and working conditions, which were
applicable in the very numerous cases
where no rules and working condi-
tons had been established prior to
federal control, and in some cases the
rules and working conditions estab-
l;shed by the Director General have,
1y agreement, become substitute for
those which prevailed by agrcenen mt
prior TO federal control.
Agreements Have Justified Them
selves
"The system has fully justified it.
self, and it is only question of time
and mutual understanding when To-
cal incidents Of a discouragng char
acter will disappear"
Mr.. Hines testified that the National
Agreement eliminated friction be
tween the managers and employees il
the most gratifying manner, which
was the prime object sought when il
was promulgated. He said:
''It is an interesting commentary
that on some Of the largest railroads
in the country with the strongest an(
most effective arrangements, not a SIN
gle case has come to one or more o
these boards Of adjustment.
''The principle of collective bar
gaining has been further recognized
in the making Of national agreement
between the Director General and Ger
tain organizations Of railroad employ
es, such agreements to remain oper
ative during federal control, subjec
to modification as provided in the az
reements.
"EarIy in the Railroad Administrs
ton it was declared that mo discrin
ination will be made in the employ
ment, retention or conditions of en-
poynent Of employees because Q
membership or non-nembership in Il
Dor organizations No errploye is re
quired to join an organization or
prohibited from joining an organize
ton. The employees who are not men
bers OF organizations have the benef
Of the same working conditions a
those who arc members. Non-men
bcrs have the right to representato