, 1922-03-25

asking reQuCIlOnS were cnara
"coldly calculated to interfere
agreement by j. w. Higgins, r
fore the railroad labor board.
Mr.. Higgins made the closing argu-
ment against tho employees charges,
preferred by B. NJ Jewell. head Of the
shop crafts unions. that the roads had
not held proper conferences with en-
ployes under the transportation act
prior to bringing their wage requests
TO the board
Mr.. Higgins declared the charges
-unfatr AM unsupported" and scored
the unions for asking wage increases"
ina the face OF the tact that the labor
board recognized a downward trend
Of wages in its wage reduction order
OF July 1891. and in spite OF the con
tinued downward trend since that
date"
Knowing chese conditions and also
recognizing as I do the keen discern
ment OF tho leaders on tho other side.
can we reason that such an extrava-
CANT reQuest was made on tho ground
d Justice or reason Mr.. Higgins
said Keeping In mind these condi-
tons. there Is no cap from che con-
cluson that the Inauguration of this
program for q wage increase WINS to
checbmate h proposed decrease OF
the railroads by requesting such alb
normal increases as to mako any sort
Of an agreement impossible 1 hold
Chat he have proved that thcir plan
was cnkily caluculated to interfere
with and delay the dectzion IN this
cnsa. From their viewpoint. II WIS
eood stratngy. because so far rs 4
know. no wa&e decrease has yct-been
made retroactive"
Mr. Higgins then quoted portions Of
Mr.. JeweIr.s lotter Of instructions to
shop craffs representatives, and asked
Il these instructions were not given
to delay meeting the railroads on the|
mertfr or tho proposed decrease. inject
into the wage e~ouference demands for
abnormal increases, and TO insist on
d-isagreezneutz-
Mr. Jewcncs allegation that railroad
officers were without authority 20 ne
sutiate wage rates, Mr. Higgins said.
lis wholly imaginary"
There was nothing mysterious or
arbitrary about b source of the rates
proposed in western territory he con-
ttnued- -The rates came from the
knowledge. experience and Judgment
Of operating officers Of the western
railroads, who themselves, in many
cases. deal with the men in the con-
ference to be held. There was no
conservation of conference with either
Of the sections Of the country, east or
southeast"
Mr.. Higgins called tho boards at
tention to the character OF informa-
ton which he said the union men had
asked of the railroad officials, includ-
ing questions on capital stock, bonded
debt. earnings. traffic outlook. delevop-
ment and fluctuation and the roads
ability to pay. The railroad represen-
tative declared such matters had never
come up before in local conferences
and that operating officials were not
in position to give detailed informa-
ton on these subjects.
There was such n striking contrast
IN h uniformity of action on one
side, and lack of 1t on the other in
these conferences as to clearly point
to the side that was thoroughly school
ed. drilled and disciplined in the pre-
arranged program" declared Mr.. Hig-
gins. 1T did not matter whether the
chutrmen were from thu same city.
or whether they wcre thousands of
miles apart. they had an Unsuitable
appetite for tho same bathing infor-
nation
-Railruad operating officers OF ne
cessfty have always kept abreast of
conditions affecting operation, inciud-
ing competitive wage rates paid by
outside industries I submit IL Ia most
unfair to bring charges OF bad faith
against these men. alleging that they
unprepared In That they did not
Rave or withheld proper information,
and that they lacked authority mere
~ because h federation chairmen
called for mass of irrelevant tnfor
nation
hold That proper conferences
e held" Mr. Higgins said IN clos
ing w produced evidence from the
individual railroads that established
beyond a doubt that the railroads, in
these conferences, were prepared to
sustain and did adequately sustain
their proposed rates, with supporting
data as to rates paid on outside in
dustries. deflations in living costs. etc.
We have shown that definite and dis
tinct disputes resulted from these con
f~erences. We have shown that the