New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-06
PO1nerene Puts
Labor Record
Up to Voters
Defies Brotherhood Chiefs,
Who Have Criticized Him,
TO Compare Their Position
iii Controversy With His
Attacks Their Powers
Ohio Senator QuestionsRight
of Any Faction to Cripple
Nations transportation
From The rribune.s Wesh.natou Rureau

From The Tribune's Washington Bureau T.
WASHINGTON, Aug. s. Coming
back with a sharp reply to the chiefs
OF the railroad brotherhoods who have
criticized his labor record, Senator
Fomerene, of Ohio, to-day dehed them
and virtually challenged them to put
the issue between their position and
his position up to the voters to decide.
Senator Pomerene wants TO know
whether few railway executives or a
lew labor leaders are to have power to
suspend railroad traffic and thus Grip
PIE industry, something which the pub
nc would not allow the President nor
the Supreme Court nor Congress to do,
ne ONO Senator, who is coming into
the public eye. as the possible nominee
TOR President of the Democrats in 1924,
calls for the determination of disputes
between the railroads and their en-
ployees by the Labor Board or some
government agency, and decries the
idea OF a small group stopping traffic
and causing vast loss and great suffer
ing to the public.
r. There never has been a time" the
senator said. "in which l have not
favored good wages and good working
conditions for laboring men. That is
one of my hobbies. am willing to be
judged by my official record in this
behalf, but not by the construction
winch is placed upon it by a few la
Dor leaders who are determined to
dominate and dictate to legislators or
to destroy them. distinguish between
laborlng men and the few labor lead.
ers who from the beginning have mis-
represented my position. ! challenge
them to publish complete record of
my labor record from the day | en-
tered the United States Senate.
The immediate and chief causes of
1helr dissatisfaction with my record
are are two: First-My opposition to the
riumb plan: Second The Esch- Cum.
mlns act. The principal opposition to
this act centers around the creation ~
the Railroad Labor Board.
Since the creation of this Labor
Board many disputes have been heard
and decided. So far as l know. all
have been accepted except the one
made against the railroads in letting
out shop work, and, secondly, the re-
cent reduction of wages, which is the
immediate cause of the present strike
I'm my judgment, the executives
were wrong when they refused to ac-
cept the decision of the Labor Board
ana the employees were wrong when
they refused to accept it and struck.
why is not the public entitled to
have these disputes determined by a
government tribunal rather than to
have all traffic suspended? Does not
the pubic have some rights?
MY belief is, and l am speaking of
disputes growing ont of interstate
traffic, and none others, that all dis.
putes between railroad management
and their employees should be settled
between the parties thereto, without
the suspension of traffic, and if this
cannot be done, in the name of the un-
organized public, in the name of all
laboring men and their families, in the
name of humanity itself, these dis
putes should then be heard and deter
mined by the Labor Board, or some
other similar government agency. NY
belief IS that the majority of the rail-
way employees themselves so think.
The public would not allow the
President nor the Supreme Court, nor
the Congress of the United States, to
suspend traffic and thus cripple indus
try. Shall few railroad executives
or few labor leaders have more
power than they are willing to accord
to the government itself? Let the
voters decide"
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 5 (By The
Associated Press).-Ohio's free -for-al
e-primary campaign, participated il
| by sixtynine candidates for state Of
fees, closed tonight. Next Tuesday
| the voters will face three major issue:
when they go to the polls-wet and dry
labor and progressive.