The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-07-14
BY EDWARD W. PlcKARp.


T ABOR troubles, present and pros
IL pective, continue to absorb much
of the interest of the American public.
The railway shopmen are out-prac-
fically all Of them, according to b. M.
Jewell, head of the six federated shop
crafts; not nearly all of them, accord
ing to the railway executives. The
maintenance of way workers, who
were expected to strike last week, are
still at work. E. F. Cradle, president
of their brotherhood, and six members
of his executive council, held an all
day conference with the members OF
the railway labor board and then is
sued a statement saying they had con-
cluded "it is not wise for our men,
bership to leave the service OF the
carriers until every resource has been
exhausted that affords hope of peace
full adjustment" The chairman on
each carrier is to take up at once with
the management all grievances and
controversies and such as cannot be
adjusted are to be taken before the
labor board. Pending these efforts at
peaceful settlement the men are to
continue work under the present wage
decision of the labor board under
protest.
Mr.. Jewell celebrated his Fourth of
July by putting forth long statement
in which he bitterly arraigned the
labor board because it had "outlawed"
the striking shopmen. He declared the
board had outlawed itself as the
friend of the unions and had adopted
a tragic attitude in attempting to COM
pel American workers to accept
wage scale below decent living" True,
the board had in effect declared the
strikers outlawed and had invited re-
cruits to fill their places, promising
them protection and urging them to
form a new shopmen's union within
the American Federation of Labor.
But in a day or two both Mr.. jewell
and Chairman Hooper of the board
became milder and the peace prospects
frightened somewhat. The former
said he was not averse to dealing with
any authorized person on any reason
able basis" and the latter issued a
statement in which he undertook to
show that the board was protecting
the interests of the striking shopmen
by advising carriers against contract
ing out shop work, and also wrote
letter to Mr.. Jewell repudiating the
charge of injustice on the part of the
board and concluding:
II am yet quite hopeful that your
organization will recover their eQui-
librium and discern that it is vastly
better for them to go along with the
railroad labor board, patiently when it
makes mistakes, but confidently at all
times that 1t profoundly desires to do
Justice to the men, the carriers, and
the public, without fear, favor or
affection"
Toward the end of the week w. L.
McMeniman, one of the labor members
of the board, held conferences with
the heads Of the railway clerks and
freight handlers, and it was predicted
that those unions would follow the
example set by the maintenance of
way men.
Though most disorders last week
due to the shipments strike were of
minor importance, reports reached
Washington in increasing numbers that
strikers were interfering with the dis
patch of the United States mails in
various parts of the country. The adj
ministration is disposed and prepared
to deal vigorously with any persons
who hamper the movement of the
mails. postotiice inspectors were sent