The New York herald., 1922-01-31
Wants No Arbiters En-
ployed to Fix Hours or
Wages on Lines.
EsCH LAW QUESTIONED
Plumb at Convention Here
Favors Abolishing Referee
System in Disputes.

ragged debate in the annual meeting of
the National Civic Federation at the
Hotel Astor yesterday.
Ben w. Hooper, vice-chairman Of
the board, said it shouldn't. but that
Congress should let the board have
power to enforce its decisions. At
present, he said, "tEe violator OF its
. decisions may place his thumb on his
nose and wriggle his fingers at the
board
Plumb plan and representing B. M
Jewell, president of the railway em-
ployees department of the American
Federation Of Labor. held that the
board should be abolished.
Samuel Gompers. president of the
american Federation Of Labor. appar-
emily was willing to let the board liye,
but not If it was to fix compulsory terms
Of wages and working conditions. That
he termed 'resuscitation Of barbar-
directing a tremendous propaganda
against railroad employees and coal
miners, with the idea of making the peo-
pie think that these workers were over
paid.
Protested to Harding.
Mr.. .Gompers devoted himself elo-
Quently to his favorite theme the right
to strike, and bobbed up with a piece Of
news when he said:
II violate no confidence in telling you
that last week ! had talk with the
President Of the United States and pro-
tested against this country bsing repre-
sented at the Genoa conference along
with representatives Of Soviet Russia
Mr.. Hooper, who formerly was Gov
ernor of Tennessee, started the discus
sion after being introduced by the presi-
dent Of the National Civic Federation,
Alton B. Parker. He said he firmly be-
lieved in the right Of labor to organize
and function as organizations, adding:
II cannot. however. sympathize with
the idea that the right of the railway
employees to strike outweishs the right
of the men, women and children Of this
nation to be protected against the disas-
trous results of railway strikes.
"The only practicable. effective and
just method that the Government can
set up for the adjustment Of railroad
labor controversies Is adjudication by a
competent tribunal, whose decisions
shall be enforceable by suitable penal
ties"
Submission Of disputes to the Rail-
way Labor Board Us mandatory, but
acquiescence in its decisions is not.
Getting right down to brass tacks."
said Mr.. Hooper, 'the public should
know at this moment that the Railroad
Labor Board needs the power to infiict
penalties for the violation of its deci-
sions a hundredfold more on account Of
the carriers than on account Of the en-
ployes. So far there have been practi-
cally no violations by employees. The in
stances in which the carriers have ig-
nored and fouted the decisions are too
numerous 10 mention. As rule, they
have been perpretrated by small or sec
ond rate roads. Nearly all the large
railroads have shown commendable zeal
in their cooperation with the board. /
said nearly all.
IF the Congress would confer on the
Railroad Labor Board the power to en-
force its decisions there lis not railroad
in the United States that would not be
brought into prompt compliance with the
rulings Of the board. But the employees
do not desire an enforceable law. They
mistakenly apprehend 1t would work q
hardship on them. II would work no
hardship on them or anybody else. 1t
would stabilize railroad conditions and
benefit everybody concerned. 1t would
be blessing to every employe. his wife
and children
Points to Accomplishment.
Mr.. Hooper said the Esch-C -Cummins
transportation act, which created the
board. would never be repealed, for Il
already had accomplished n world OF
good and prevented railroad strikes for
ffearly two years. He warned Congress
that-if 1t did not fix penalties for vio-
lations OF the boards decisions some
thing might happen that will convuise
the country from shore 20 shore"
Glenn Plumb held that the Railroad
Labor Board should never have been
established. Inevitably. ha said. ths
three railway managers ON the bua nd
stand for the maximum o. ol
management. and the three -. snen
for the maximum demands ~ labor
each side hoping that Il win benefit hy
the inexperiencc OF the incxpert three
members representing the public. And
said Mr.. Plumb. the principle OF giving
such a tribunal control over tho dcs-
TIMES OF 100000 workers and their de-
pcndents Is ''unsound and unworkable.' .
He argued further that so long as capt
tai Is responsible for the management
of great industries the other interest
labor. must be free to deal with capital
In regard to wages In the same free
manner that capital demands for itself
Mr.. Gompcrs insisted that before the
railroad question could be discussed Il
must always be understood that the
ownership and operation OF the roads
is a monopoly, not conducted merely for
public service but for private profit. And
the conditions under which the workers
give their service must bo considered
from that viewpoint.
THE whole purpose of the Esch-Cum-
minis Act" the veteran labor leader con-
tinucd. was uninterrupted traneporta-
tion service. I ask you to note that be-
fore the Government took over the lines
and since the enactment OF tho Esch-
Cummins law there has been less inter-
ruption in the railroad service of the
United States than In that Of any other
country In the world.
y know there may be some who would
ondcavor to limit and crcumscribe the
self expression OF the people Of our coun-
try. to place them in an Industrial strait
Jacket. But the progress Of the republic
has been based on the hope OF the attain
mcnt Of human freedom.
There arc now actually and officially
Ioaro ~sA a. ~ h.. N rrt-