Evening star., 1923-06-19
DECISION REVEALS
RAIL BOARD WEAK
P. R. R. Refusal to Obey RuI-
ing Gets Broad Smile From
Labor Leaders.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Union labor Is sitting in it's national
headquarters here today with O. proao
grin on it's face. The long-expected
rebuke issued by the United states
Railroad Labor Board against the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad for violating
" decisions Of the board has not pro-
duced a ripple of assent from the
direction of the Pennsylvania rail-
road.
men were bitterly criticised for de :
Tying the government of the united
States in ignoring a decision or the
United States Railroad Labor 'Board-
The shopmen claimed that the ran
roads had been guilty of 1O4 viCia-
tfons before the strike was caiied;
and if justice was to be one, ,sided :,
they saw no reason why they shouio
obey the board.
Now>the Pennsylvania railroad mas
been publicly reprimanded and ac-
cused of depriving railway employees
of essential rights as laboring men
to which Congress has declared them
entitled" But there Is no power to
make the, Pennsylvania obey the La
Dor Board except public sentiment
and as for that there is every m
dication that the officials of that rail-
road believe they are doing an I'M
measurable service in squelching
unionism of the national variety.
Hoard without Power.
This conspicuous revelation of the
impotence of the United States Rail-
road Labor Board to enforce It's oe-
cisions comes on the eve OF Presf-
dent Harding's western trip. when ne
is expected to discuss the transporta-
ton problem in detail. He has
already in one address to Congress
alluded to the attitude of certain
railroad executives and 1T is an open
secret that practically the entire ad-
ministration here believes the Penn
sylvania railroad Is thoughtlessly
adding to the nations problems by
defying the spirit Of the transporta-
tion act. in 80 far as IL relates to
powers Of the United States Railroad
LaAor Board. Congress created that
tribunal as a means OF preventing
strikes. 1t was thought that when
the board would issue it's decisions
both parties to the controversy
would have sufficient respect for an
Institution created by the Congress
of the United States and approved
by the chief executive as to give
It moral support
The United States Railroad Labor
Board didn't Tnince words In its de-
nunciation of the tactics of the Penn
sylvania, declaring that the latter
while protesting its acceptance and
Observance of this principle of EN-
ploye representation, the carrier
had set up system which throttles
the majority and establishes the rep
resentation of a coerced and subser-
{, Went minority"
Hits "Shop Union"
The language is descriptive Of the
so-called shop union" system, where
by the Pennsylvania railroad en-
couraged the formation Of unions
through leaders more or less friendly
to the employers themselves. These
unions alone were recognized and
representatives of the workmen had
to be employees Of the Pennsylvania,
which meant, of course. that II they
became too active in behalf Of the
workmen they might be In danger
Of losing their jobs, and If they lost
their jobs they couldn't represent the
workmen any longer.
The American Federation of Labor
contends that union representative
must be free from coercion and must
be paid by the dues of his fellow
workmen, so that his own job isn't
mently with an employer. This. In
effect, Is. the view now taken by the
United States Labor Board, which
points out that workmen have a
right to select their own represents =
tives and that employers should deal
the workmen.
The whole trouble has come over
the question of whether the repre-.
sentatives chosen by the members Of
the American Federation Of Labor
working for the Pennsylvania were
elected by a majority of the work.
men. but the Pennsylvania has de-
clined to count certain ballots cast
by the men or to abide by the rules
for fair election set UP by the
United States Railroad Labor Board.
The significance of the rebuke given
the Pennsylvania is that other raff-
roads in the United States have been
preparing to follow the lead Of the
big eastern system. Undoubtedly the
attitude of the Pennsylvania will be-
come a matter of discussion in the
next Congress unless there is a COM
plete reversal Of Pennsylvania policy
before next autumn, and it would not
be surprising If the demand for
teeth in the transportation act now
proceeded from labor sources as q
means of compelling railway en-
ployers to abide by the spirit OF the
act should be made an issue. Usual
ly employing interests have sought
to put more enforcing power in labor
statutes SO as to prevent strikes,
but labor leaders are beginning to
wonder If with the shoe on the other
foot public opinion will be as drastic
with an offending employer as it has
been in the past with the offending
ernploye. Mr.. Harding probably will
deal with certain phases of this con-
troversy on his western trip.
Copyright, 1921