The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1927-02-17
More Marines ASse>nblim% Possible Duty IN Ncuyuqua
RAILROAD "PROVOKED''
STRIKE OF MEN SAYS
REPORT OF CHURCHES

WASHlNGTON Feb L. Respon.
sibility for "provoking' Il strike Of
engine employees Oh the Western
MARYLAND railroad in October. l925,
was attributed today To the com.
panys management in a final re
port of Protestant Catholic ami
Jewish church bodies which have
Jointly investigated the situation.
Conclusions gathered by the Re
search Department of the Federal
America. the Social Action Depart.
ment of the National Catholic Wei
fare conference. and the Social Jus
lice Commission of the Central Con
ference of American Babbis. all of
which have cooperated for the frs,
time in such an inquiry. were made
public in today's statement as Il
suppliment TO yesterdays prelimna-
ry announcement of the inquiry
The enginemen, firemen. and host
lers en- the roi.d Went out III Oct
ober. 1925, the report said. bul the
y
cessfnlly ever since, and the strike
was declared broken TO all intents.
through the men are holding their
lines firm with the support of the
national brothe hoods,
Rockefeller, Jr., Involved
John d. Rockefeller, Jr.. the prin
cipal individual stockholder in III.
road. was pictured as having sought
unsuccessfully to get the difficulties
arbitrated, though the Alien Property
Custodian. as trustee for German
bark, having tzasscenitel OF q large
block OF the company's stock, re
manned conspicuously silent The
railroad refused a wage increase de
mand. unless accompanied by a re
linquishment of working rules which
the engineers brotherhood made. On
the ground that its earnings did MOI
justify more.
The strike question investigation
has led us to the conclusion that
strike was precintated by the man.
agemenl posting of lockout or
of the lockout upon certain of the
engnemen. and by the refusal to
withdraw it, the joint committees
conclusions read. This order put
an end to the contracual relations
between the company and the engine
mems brotherhood, and was to all
intents a violation of an existing
agreement The strike. therefore,
was provoked by action of the man
agement.
Neglect Usual Procedure
During the final negotiations
which preceded the lockout order.
the management. by refusing to pre-.
sent a counter proposal to the
mems demand had neglected The
usual procedure in settling disputes
by negotiation. Once before the
lockout and twice afterward Tie
company also rejected opportunity
offered by the men 10 mediate OF
arbitra,e
The mems demand for back pay
was obviously excessive, although
further negotiations upon it. To in
troduce such a demand at this point
accompanied by insistence upon re-
latiyely nnimportant working rules
which had been long in abeyance
was not good negotiating. At the
same time. it should be kept in mind
that the men granted concessions in
nearly all the rules in which the
management asked for changes.
While the course pursued by the
management indicated that II prefer
red strike To any one of several
possible alternative methods of set.
tlement, We wish to point out that
the case of union is strongest aud
the interests of the community are
best served when the threat of "a
strike is postponed until ii is Ger.
tain that settlement cannot be
reached otherwise.
Case Of Men
Clearly the case of the men
would be stronger II the union neso.
tiators had presented to the man.
agement the proposal which had
been decided upon by the national
union for submission of the dispute
to a binding decision by the Railroad
Labor board. This commission. how.
ever, was of less consequence be-
cause of the fact that the national
officers at the eleventh hour made
the offer TO the chairman OF the
board of directors.
In their wage demand, the pre-.
sumption fayors. the men since they
were asking wage which at the