Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-12-19

During the time that the strike vote
was being taken on the Southern Pa
clfic the board received tip that the
representatives of the engineers and
firemen on that road and the manage
ment were about TO get together and
settle their difficulties. That made
the board feel that its feet were
slipping on the whole Western rail-
road situation, with the result that
the board went into high speed and
handed down a blanket decision COW
ering all Western roads that appar-
emily pleases no one. The main OBJ
ject of the board in taking this action
was to retain it's grip on the situa-
ton and defeat efforts at settlement
without interference by the board.
Way Mems Decision
The next act of the board was TO
hand down an unsatisfactory decision
for the maintenance of way employees
on 20 Eastern and Western railroads
This decision followed closely on the
heels of the decision for engineers
and firemen on the Western roads and
cleared the deck for action on the
case of the telegraphers on the Santa
Fe, the Central Railroad of New Jer-
sey, the Cincinnati, indianapolis &
Western, the Denver & Rio Grande,
and the Southern Pacific.
The Order of Railroad Telegraph
ers had asked for increases of pay on
these railroads and for changes in
some of the working rules. The board
granted some Of the requests as to
rules and made the following decision
as 10 wages: Santa Fe, an increase
Of 8 cents an hour; Central Railroad
of New Jersey, no increase; Cincin-
natl, indianapolis & Western, cents
an hour increase; Rio Grande, l cent
an hour increase; Southern Pacific,
no increase.
Hearing Has Peculiar Feature
A peculiar feature of the hearing
on the telegraphers' case was that a
representative Of an alleged employees
organization appeared for one of the
railroads and whose name is a mat
ter Of record as such. This so-called
trade union officer is ]. G. Thomas,
president of the American Railway
Agents Association, formerly the
Order of Railroad Station Agents,
which is regarded as a company out
fit. Thomas is agent of the Cincin-
natl, Indianapolis & Western Railroad
at Indianapolis, Ind, and was a rep
resentative of record for that railroad
in this hearing.
The Railroad Labor Board also is
showing unwonted activity in other
cases long pending before it. It is
now considering cases involving the
Order of Railway Conductors, the
Brotherhood of Railroad TrainmeI
and the Switchmen.
There can be no doubt that the
board has been greatly alarmed over
the stand taken by the powerful
brotherhoods of engineers and FIRE
men and the agitation for the passage
of the Howell Barley bill.
Members Fear Loss Of Jobs
The politicians comprising the use
less board are in deadly fear lest they
lose their finely upholstered jobs anC
the power to spend the 100000 1
year which the taxpayers are com
PEELED to shell out for the mainten
ance of lot of political lame ducki
and their satellites.
There is a great deal of criticism
of the personnel of the Railroad La
Dor Board because of the alleged lacl
of qualifications Of its members Il
thoroughly understand railroad prob
lens. It is charged that the inten
and purpose of the transportation &C
have not been observed in appointing
the nine members, three Of whom ar
supposed to-and do in fact-repre