New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-05
Engineers, Trainmen and
Firemen Declare Lives
Are Menaced by Condi-
ton of Road Equipment
Complain Armed
Guards Are Foes
Effort to Avert Collapse
of shopmen's Organiza.
ton Is Seen i'm Appeal
specsqr Dispatch to The Tribune


CLEVELAND, Aug. 4.--Three of
the "Big Four" railroad brother
hoods intervened in the shipments
strike tonight in an effort to pre-
vent the breaking up of the shop
crafts unions by the railroad execu-
tives. The brotherhood chiefs sent
telegram to Washington asking for
conference with President Harding
on the strike.
The message conveyed the opinion
Of the brotherhoods that if the shop
mems strike is not settled imne
dlately the use of armed guards and
the increasing deterioration of rail
road equipment eventually viii re-
suit in drawing the brotherhoods into
the controversy. 1t said that the
situation, from the point of view of
the brotherhoods, was steadily grow
ing worse.
Ask Conductors to Participate
Leaders of the three brotberhoods
having headquarters in Cleveland held
long conference this afternoon.
Afterward three kilograms were dis
patched. One was 70 L. E. Sheppah.
president of the Order of Railway
Conductors, the fourth member of tie
Big Four" advising him that the con-.
ference with the President was being
sought because of the bad situation
developing hourly" and suggesting
that if he wanted to take similar action
he authorize his representative in
Washington to arrange for him t. tass
part in the same conference.
The second telegram was to f. T.
Wells, Arthur j. Lowell and w. n
Doak, legislative representatives in
Washington of the three brotherhoedsS =
1t asked that arrangements for th4
meeting be made and detailed the real
sons for requesting a conference with
the President. 1t was to be submitted
to the White House as the basis OF tha
proposed discussion.
Join in Message to Harding
The third message was to Presidcn:
Harding Signed by d. B. Robertson.
president of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen; VIII
liam G. Lee, president of the Brother
hoow of Railroad Trainmen, and War
rem S. Stone, president of the Brother
hood OF Locomotive Engineers, it said:
eve have this day wired our ma
tional legislative representatives at
Washington instructing them to re
i. quest conference with you for the
purpose of presenting to you our
views in connection with the pres
ent strike of railroad shop crafts
which is daily developing into more
serious situation"
The message to the legislative repre-
sentatiyes brought out that many com
plants have come to the headquarters
of the brotherhoods about working con-
ditions on the roads. 1t said that
members of the brotherhoods were be-
ing assaulted and insulted by the
armed guards put Oh the roads by the
developing which demanded immediate
consideration.
1t was pointed out by the brother
hood chiefs after the conference that
their messages to Washington did not
constitute a sympathetic strike threat
because no walk-out is anticipated, but
that the brotherhoods feel called upon
to defend their men and that the use
of defective equipment by the roads is
a menace to these men that cannot be
ignored. The brotherhoods believe, it
was said, that they must intervene in
the situation, as the disaffection among
brotherhood men has been increased
by the refusal of the rail executives to
accept President Harding's plan for
settlement of the rail strike.
A telegram giving his views OF the
critical situation was sent by Timothy
Shea, vice-president of the Brother
Firemen, to President Harding this
morning. 1t said that the brotherhoods
would be unable to operate trains much
longer in the face of defective equip
ment and irresponsible guards"
Protests IS a Citizen
Mr.. Shea said the message was sent
not as an officer of the organization,
but as "an American citizen who has
been close to labor circles for thirty
years."
The message to the legislative rep
resentatives in Washington from the
brotherhood chief said:
Complaints in increasing num-
bers are pouring into our respective
Offices against demands that our men
take out locomotives and equipment
which are in dangerous and unsafe
condition, in violation of safety
statutes and rules which have been
enacted for the protection of the
lives and property of the public, and
of assaults on and insults to our
members by armed guards that are
placed on the various railroad prop
critics,
"Up to this time, by constant urg-
ing Of neutral attitude, fidelity to
At~s -
public peace and safety, we have
prevailed on our members to con-
tinue at their posts. Constant ag-
gravation of the above conditions
and the refusal Of the railroad exec
utives to accept the proposals Of
the President for q compromise set
tlement Of pending questions are
making the situation infinitely more
difficult to handle. The plain inten-
tion of the railroad executives to
smash the shop craft unions is re-
sulting in more and more Of the To-