The Washington times., 1922-08-21

WILLIAM HARD enO OF laSt week
with this difference in interpreta-
tions still existing.
In other words, II a strike settle
ment is to be reached, II has got TO
be reached by efforts starting all
over again this week. Nobody yet
has been able to have an idea which
would really reconcile the conflict
ing needs and interests of the rail-
road companies and the transporta.
ton brotherhoods.
Deadlock Seen Ahead.
The matter of the striking shop
men has passed definitely into sec
ond place. The situation today is
that the country faces an absolute
total general railroad strike unless
the railroad companies and the
transportation brotherhoods can
come to an agreement in the mat.
ter of seniority, and the plain truth
is that nobody yet has been able
TO devise such a settlement without
sacrificing either what the railroad
companies regard as their honor or
what the transportation brother
hoods regard as their self.preser-
walton.
Today both sides would be willing
TO offer large prize to anybody,
man or woman, old or young, in
the whole United States, who could
sit down with a railroad executive
and a locomotive engineer and show
them a way in which they could get
out OF the tangle which has been
created for them by the Railroad
Labor Board.
II anybody wishes to understand
the debates which will go on during
this week regarding this tangle in
the meetings OF the representatives
of the railroads and the representa-
tives OF the brotherhoods behind
closed doors, the only thing he
needs to do Is to consider the fol-
lowing facts:
The Railroad Labor Board has
handed down at least four decisions
hostile to strikers and favorable 10
strikebreakeTs in the matter OF
seniority.
Friend Of Strikebreakers.
Therefore. no matter what any
body may do in negotiations in New
York. every strikebreaker will have
a right to appeal to the Railroad
Labor Board and to ask il to enforce
these decisions.
The railroads claim that there are
now some 100000 strikebreakers.
To these men they have pledged
their solemn word on the proposition
that the railroad companies will
abide by the Railroad Labor Board S
decisions.
But the transportation brother.
hoods know that II the strike of the
shopmen is settled with loss of sen
iority by the strikers, then the trans.
portation brotherhoods themselves
will suffer a loss of seniority when.
ever they go on strike, and will,
therefore, never dare to go on strike,
but will be thrown into the arms of
the Railroad Labor Board absolutely
In the whole matter of their hours
and wages.
But they know that in the present
Railroad Labor Board, out OF a total
of nine members of It, there are five
who on their records take the
railroad point of view all the time
regarding hours and wages, as well
as regarding seniority.
They, therefore, fear for their lives
II they get subjected to the Railroad
IDOdIu lHt Ol
ever threatening to go on strike.
Would Strike First
They, therefore, totally refuse to
let the present strike get settled by
another railroad labor seniority dc.
cision. Rather than submit to any
such prospect, they will go on strike
now with a justification drawn from
the alleged defective and dangerous
condition Of present railroad equip.
ment.
But the railroad companies cannot
destroy the powers OF the Railroad
Labor Board by any agreement with
the brotherhoods, and the Railroad
Labor Board has claimed a jurisdic-
ton over the question of seniority.
and the stTikebreakers will appeal to
that jurisdiction, no matter how the
strike is settled.
Moreover, the executives have
pledged themselves to back that ap,
peal.
II any bright boy or girl in the
United States knows how this jam
can be untangled without making
monkeys of either the railroad execu.
tives or the transportation brother
hoods, now is his or her chance to
come forward and do what no grown.
up person has yet had brains enough