The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-21
Santa Fe Shops in Smooth
Running Order-StOrey.
President Tells TOpekans of
Conditions on System.
NOT OPPOSED TO UNIONS
But Shop Leaders Lacked Spirit
of BrOtherhOOds.
Santa Fe WIN Fight to the
Limit of Its Means.

VINO went out on SJFlKe on July may
return as new employees when there
are vacancies for them, unless they
have been guilty of conduct unbecom-
ing an employee. The Santa Fe will
adhere to the policy which it has
adopted, and fight the battle to the
end if necessary, President w. B.
Storey of the road said at the Patrick
Walsh dinner Friday evening at To-
peka.
President Storey's address was in
part, as follow:
1.-THE charge made by the union
leaders that the strike was the work
OF the railroad arrangements is I'M
qualifiediy false.
I'VE do not believe in strikes and
we believe the strike weapon should
not be used on the railroad, not be-
cause there is anything sacred about
q railroad or the money invested in 1t,
but because of its relation to the pub
lie and because of the fact that while
the railroad and the strikers may suf-
fer heavy losses the greatest loss must
fall on the public.
AT no time has the Santa Fe pre-
cipitated a strike.
1.-The telegraphers' strike in 1900
was declared by the te,egraphers on
the Santa F'e proper two months after
an agreement had been signed cover
ing all points of difference and to run
for one year and thereafter until
changed in the usual manner. The
committee on the Gulf Lines had been
unable 10 agree on bCnGQQle ana as
a consequence struck to enforce their
demands. The organization on other
parts of the system struck in SYM
pathy with the Gulf employees. On
being confronted with the agreement,
we were told that everyone knew that
an agreement of that kind was made
TO be broken under such cireum-
stances. We answered that if an
agreement could not be made that was
binding we would make no more
m Writ SIR In frxYn
weeks the road was moving normally
and thereafter we made no agree
ments 18th ting Order of Railway Teleg-
ments witty the Order of Railway
der federal control and we were in
structed from Washington to do so.
Shop Strike OF 1904.
'fThe next strike that disturbed the
serenity of the Santa Fe family was
the shipments strike of 1904. In that
case The international Association of
Machinists presented a proposed
agreement and asked us to sign on
the dotted line. We declined on the
ground, among other reasons, that it
practically required a closed shop. 1t
wss bitterly fought and was not de-
clared off for several years.
After that strike we lived in peace
and harmony with our employees up
to the time of the present. strike, not
counting the outlaw switehmen's
strike of 1920.
When the government took over
the road in 1918 it made an agree
ment for US covering wages, rules and
working conditions, and when the
road came back to us after govern
ment control the decisions of the labor
BOARD required us to continue that
agreement. We have tried to live up
10 1t exactly in conformity with it's
letter and spirit. We believe there are
certain things about the agreement
that are unjust to us, but we are will
ing to leave the decision to the labor
board and We will abide in all cases
by its decisions because we believe its
decisions are more apt in the main to
do Justice to all parties (Which in
oludes the pubiic) than our own opin-
ion, which would necessarily be in
1iuenced by the necessities of the rail-
road.
when the railroad came back to
us after federal control applications
were pending for increases in wages
The labor board, after due considera-
ton, granted increases all along the
line that ranged from 20 to 25 per
cent. The railroads put these full
rates into effect and then asked the
interstate commerce commission to
increase its freight and passenger
rates TO meet the new expense. In
creases we're granted based on a GER
tain volume of business, but the ex-
pected increase in earnings did not
come, due to the slump in business and
the railroads were left with the higher
wages and without sufficient increased
revenue to meet the greater cost.
A Cut to Meet Conditions.
"During 1921 the depression con-
tinued and gradually public opinion
decided that this depression was due
IN part TO nigh freight rates, and an
1nsistent demand arose for lower
rates The cost of living had in the
meantime fallen and the railroads
asked the labor board to take off the
increase in wages that had been
granted in 1920. A cut was finaIIv
allowed of about one-half the amount
requested. This decrease was ac-
quiesced in by all parties, altho some
OF the employees thought it unjustified.
The depression in business Continued
and finally the interstate commerce
commission granted 10 per cent re-
duction in all freight rates, which
meant that unless the costs of con-
quoting transportation could be
brought down bankruptcy for some
roads was Inevitable. The roads
therefore renewed their request to the
labor board for a further reduction
The strike followed.
BY the loyal assistance of the en-
tire Santa Fe staff we have succeeded
in carrying on transportation with
credit to you and with justice to the
public. We have done this under dis
couraging conditions. such as lack of
protection from local peace officers.
AS a consequence our loyal employees
have been subjected to violence. our
new employees have been refused food
and accommodations by the local peo-
pie of the towns, and on the desert
some of our train and enginemen so
far forgot their contracts as to join
with the strikers for a time. Happily
that is past and l think these very
men are ashamed of the part they
assumed. We are still compelled to
keep guards about our plants and
there is more or less violence. With
in two weeks bombs have been ex-
ploded in houses\of employees and
dynamite has been found on locomo-
tives