The Connecticut labor news., 1924-06-28

SentatiOn pan on the PennSylvania rail road IS revealed beyond a doubt by a re port OH the scheme made by the Fedora Council of the Churches of Christ, k pointed out by William %H H. Johnston President of the International Associa- ton of Machinists, in an analysis of the report written for International Labor News Service.
 The report of the Federal Council is based on a study made oil the Pennsy1- vanla system ill the spring and summer of 1925. The inquiry was made among the shop craft employees of the Peinsy1- tvanlt at the suggestion of Gen. Alter bury, to learn the attitude of the men to- ward the "ernploye representation plan y
 Ire Research Department of the Fed eral' Council, which made the investi- gation, is to continue the inquiry in the coming months. Pending further inqury, the Federal Council states that the chief differences from the investigation may be summarized as follows.
 l. The employees of the Pennsylvania Railroad are generally able to earn good wages as measured by the wages ob- taln;ng elsewhere and this is one main reason why men like to work for the road.
 2. There IS widespread dissatis faction over piece work, especially in round houses and where the work is heavy
 5. The committeeman under the Company Plan are in general loyal en- ployes and appeared to be hearty support CTS of the plan.
 4. The plan had not at the time. when these observations were made thorough ly won the confidence of the employees as a method of adjusting individual grievances and the large majority of those interviewed were either indifferent or unfavorable to it.
 5. The employees do not regard the, plan as affording them any real economic power for the purpose of dealing col lectively with the company. On the other hand many of them are wholly un- interested in regular unionism
 6. It does not appear under these cir cumstances that the plan has yet brought about any marked increase of co-opera- ton on the part of the ernpoyes.
 Declaring that he is confident the re- port of the Federal Council will have a big influence on public opinion, Mr. John son comments as follows on the report:
 By William H. Johnston President, International Association of
 Machinists
 The report of the Department of Re search and Education of the Federal Council of the Churches should serve as the verdict of the public in the contro- versy between the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and the Federated Shop CTafts.
 H will be remembered that the Supreme Court of the United States is passing upon authority to compel the railroads observance of the decisions of the U. S. Railway Labor Board took the posi- ton that the Court had no jurisdiction in competing the carrier to observe the decisions of the Board and that public opinion should be relied upon to see that justice was done the employees,
 We now have a voluntary impartial tribunal which upon it's own motion and with no other incentive than to see that tle truth shall prevail and justice done take upon itself an investigation as to the merits of this long standing controversy which has been misrepresented by tons of propaganda circulated by the Pennsy1- vania Railroad Company, and what is their verdict?
 There is widespread dissatisfaction over piece work, especially ill round houses where the work is heavy.
 The com nitteemen are supporteds of the company plan, but the plan had not won the confidence of the employees and large majority of those interviewed were indifferent or unfavorable to it.
 The employees do not regard the Penn syvania plan as affording them any real economic power for the purpose of deal ing collectively with the Pennsylvania Company.
 The plan has not yet brought any marked increase in cooperation on the part of the employees.
 These four conclusions of the investi- gators were arrived at after two years of what might be termed ideal. open shop conditions, for it is well known that the Federated Shop Crafts went on strike July 1, 1922, and are still on strike on the Pennsylvania System.
 Members of organized labor, there fore, are forbidden by their strike regu lat:ons from seeking or retaining en ployment on the Pennsylvania and not withstanding this some of the employees interviewed expressed the opinion that on a secret ballot the present Pennsyl-