The Connecticut labor news., 1923-03-30


 Under the Baltimore agreement each system federation IS authorized to negotiate a settlement with the car. rier. In only few instances, on short lines, has the strike thus been voted off. This IS the best proof that the men who suspended work as a last resort to maintain their rights have sno thought of surrender to the rail- road ,autocrats. Reports to the In terstate Commerce Commission by the carriers themselves, as required by law, show that the bad situation on the holdout roads is growing pro- gressively worse.
 When the strike started nine months ago most of these roads had considerable serviceable rolling stock in reserve. This has been exhaust ted and the railroad equipment plants are now flooded with orders for new loco motives and cars to supplant discard ed and -unserviceable stock. Strike breakers, as rule, have done more damage in the shops than repair work. FoE-instance, when the strike began in July the Pennsylvania system had 726 stored serviceable locomotives.
 
 locomotive was in reserve. To sup ply this loss of motive power in part the Pennsylvania has been compelled to order $40 new locomotives-II5 in September, 1922, and 225 in Janu- ary, 1923.
 5000 Strikebreakers Fail in Jobs of
 300 Union Men.
 One illustration will show how strikebreakers have failed to fill the jobs of efficient workmen. Tn June 300 craftsmen were employed at the Crestline, Ohio, shops of the Penn sylvaniaa system; Every man suspend, ed work on July I. Since then and pany's own records, $500 strikebreak- CTS have been placed in the Crestline shops, or II incompetents to one efficient workman
 This in a measure explains why operating costs on the sylvania and other "die-hard" roads are eating up all the profits and make present high freight and passenger rates nec- essary from the carriers point of view.
 On the other hand, roads which have settled with the shopmen are reaping great benefit! The New York Central and the Baltimore & Ohio, parallelinge the Pennsylvania between New York and Chicago, have taken from the Pennsylvania a great amount of passenger and freight traf- hc Some day the stockh o1ders will wake up to this situation and demand a change of management. Of course men of the type of General w. w.. Atterbury, operating vice-ptesident of the Pennsylvania lines, would pre- fer to wreck this magnificent prop erty rather than recognize the regular labor organizations.
 Senator Cummins, co-author of the Cummins- Esch law, recently stated that railroads totaling 75,ooo, miles are on the verge of bankruptcy and would soon have to be taken over by the government if the service in the districts they supply is to be main tained. Of course he had reference to the "die-hard" roads which have refused to settle with the shopmen As a matter of fact the mileage of roads on the brink of ruin is much greater than the estimate made by the Iowa Senator.
 International Presidents Review
 Entire Situation.
 Last week the international presl- dents of the seven organizations in volved in the shop strike held con- ference in Chicago. Reports were received from the general chairmen of the roads which have refused to settle and a comprehensive survey of the strike situation was made. In not a single instance was there report evincing a desire on the part of the men to- surrender and return to work on terms dictated by the manage ments. Neither are the men being coerced by the company unions framed up by the officials of several lines.
 One of the great and irreparable hurts to the railroad industry is the loss of efficient mechanics who have taken other employment. The other day was riding on a Chicago street car and recognized the conductor as machinist formerly employed in a Chicago shop. He said he was receiv- ing more money than awarded his