New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-02
Administration, Fearful
Nation Will Be Plunged
Into Unemployment, to
Try to Force Early Peace
Both Sides Must
Obey Rail Board
President Insists Rights of
Strikers Be Given; Holds
Roads Equally to Blame
+ By Gilman Parker

The United States government made
clear yesterday It's position on the
strike of railroad shopmen in the most
clear-cut and forceful terms brought
to bear for many years in connection
with an industrial dispute in this
country.
Convinced that the prolongation of
the strike would bring one Of the great
est national industrial disasters in the
country's history, coupled as it is with
the coal strike, the government be-
lieves that even thirty days more of it
would see the shutting down of so
many industries that at least 100000
wage earners would be thrown out Of
employment.
Taking tho position that the public
welfare is paramount and that, re-
gardless of the merits of the issues,
this has become most gravely and sers-
ously jeopardized, the government now
insists that the strike shall be settled
upon the following basis, which it has
evolved as the result Of careful con-
sideration given every phase of the
situation:
/. The unreserved acceptance by
both sides of the decisions of the
United States Railroad Labor Board,
including, as concerns the shopmen, the
last decision cutting their wages. This
was the chief reason for the strike.
2. The further unreserved accept
Immediately prior to the strike on
July 1, including, as concerns railroad
concessions, the restoration to the
strikers of all rights and privileges
held by them when they went out.
Uphold Seniority Rights
The second portion of the govern
ments peace program, of course, deals
chiefly with the seniority rights issue,
now held forth as the chief stumbling
block in the way of settlement.
While the government Is fully cog
infant that many of the railroad execu-
tives made promises to their strike
breakers as to retention by the latter
Of seniority rights, it has not become
convinced, it was learned, that the
question is on the high moral plane
put forth by the executives as sup
porting it.
Moreover, the opinion Of the govern
ment in the matter of seniority and
pension rights is that when the rail-
roads promised these to their strike
they had no right to give. The gov
ernment views these rights as prop
erty in the possession of the strikers,
something which they bought and
paid for by their services for the
roads, and that therefore, although
they may have quit the roads tenn
porarily in order to go on strike, the
roads nave no more right to take their
seniority rights from them than would
an insurance company to deprive
client of all his rights in one Of his
policies merely because the client
might have allowed his premium pay
ments to lapse for time.
Should the strikers not return to
% work at all, governmental opinion.
holds, they would have well founded
claims against the treasures of the
railroads for liquidation of what was
promised them in pensions. Considered
from another standpoint, the rights
concerned are matter Of title, with
the strikers holding the best claim in
this connection, according to govern
ment belief.
The second point of governmental
attack on the roads seniority stand is
that they have given more Importance
the number of strike breakers they
might have to consider after termina-
tion of the strike.
VIII Force Decision
Inquiries by the government have
developed that the roads, considered
generally, have employed strikebreak-
ers numbering about rs per cent Of
their normal shop forces since the
strike began. The roads say that, with
(Conluued on next pagc)