Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-14
REPORT ON STRIKE
ON v. N, RAILROAD.
Religious Bodies Score
Roads Labor Policy and
Leaders in Walkout.

A report of facts and findings on
the strike of engine employees which
has been in progress on the Western
Maryland Railroad since october, 1925:
and which takes exception in several
| respects to the railroad management
| labor policy. as we'll as the attitude
OF the labor leaders on the walkout.
| was made public today by committees
representing the three dominant re-
| ligious bodies in the United States. FOL.
lowing a six-month investigation OF
the question.
A second installment Of the report,
containing the main conclusions
reached by the investigators. will be
! made public tomorrow.
Conducted Investigation.
The investigation was conducted
| jointly by the research department OF
i the. Federal Council OF Churches OF
Christ in America, the social action
department OF the National Catholic
justice commission Of the Central Con-
ference Of American Rabbis.
The report made public today said
that John D. Rockefeller, jr.. the larg-
est individual stockhoider in the road,
was known to be out OF sympathy
with the labor policy OF the manage.
ment." The three organizations added
that they had never before Joined in
such a study, but declared the effects
of strikes on religious bodies. and the
effects of strikes in general warranted |
the concern. though the number Of |
men involved in the Western Maryland |
controversy was comparatively small. |
Difficulties began on the Western
Maryland in the Fall Of 1925, when |
the railroad refused a wage increase |
to enginemen. flremen and hostlers, |
at time when a similar increase had |
been granted by nearly all other trunk !
lines in the country.
Essence Of Dispute.
THE essence Of the dispute which |
led to the strike was a refusal OF the |
company to grant the wage Increase |
except on condition that the men |
would accept certain changes in rules |
governing conditions which indirectly |
affected compensation" the report |
said. when a deadlock was reached |
a strike vote was taken by the brother |
hood officials. but action on II was |
delayed pending the results Of further |
attempts to reach an agreement. The |
strike was precipitated by an order |
posted without warning by the com. |
pany, requiring that all men who |
wished to remain in the service of |
the company must sign an individual |
agreement, which was In effect a non.
union contract. Those who refused to /
sign were to be dismissed from the |
service. Some Of the men were sum.
marily discharged on the day this or
order was posted. -
The order was, in fact, a lockout |
order, and the men discharged on |
October IS and IA were locked out
The Western Maryland was lock.
Ing out-refusing to permit to work.
those OF its employees who would not |
agree as individuals to work under |
new conditions. AS the Railroad Labor
Board said later. the company struck
rrst, so as to speak II the present !
situation on the Western MARYLAND !!
is called strike, 1t is only because
the men struck before a lockout order |
was made fully effective. 80
Men Somewhat Obdurate.
AT the same time, it Is true the |
men showed themselves somewhat /
obdurate in the negotiations and un.
willing to concede points which after
ward they did concede, and even at the
very end of the period of exchanges
between them and the management
made requests which they could not
have expected would be granted and
upon"
Wage increases sought ran from
to 10 cents per hour in various cate.
gories Of employment the report said,
in reviewing other conditions, and
were denied largely on the ground that
the railroads earnings were insuffi-
cient. The management sought relief
from regulations which In some cases,
the report conceded, meant that men
1
nary days work for days pay" A
method Of removing such points in
railroad contracts, by conference be.
tween employees and officials. was sug-
gested but In lengthy review OF the
railroads financing the committee con.
cluded that a faulty financial struc-
turo" rather than adverse conditions
was responsible for lack OF earnings.
The conflict is not between a wage
settlement and Bankruptcy" the re.
port said, but between a wage set.
tlement and dividends on stock. 1t is
specifically conflict between a wage
settlement and dividends on the first
preferred stock, which has a first
claim to the net income Of the road.
This situation, from the standpoint Of
the economist, shows faulty financial
structure"
Rockefeller Interested.
Mr.. Rockefeller ia the largest indi.
vidual stockholder in the road The
alien property custodian of the United
States. however. holds title to 10000
shares Of stock which formerly be.
ionged 20 a German bank. Mr.. Rocke.
Teller was early interested In the strike
situation. The report said that in
October. 1928. Raymond b. Fosdick.
representing Mr.. Rockefeller, urged
the board Of directors Of the railroad
to accept the union offer to arbitrate. |
The effort was fruitless.
During these last days two facts
stand out, the report said Of the arbi.
tration proposal. "One Is that the only |
definite proposals to arbitrate or con.
ciiiate came from the side Of the men.
The other fact 10 that the union nexo.
tiators handling the case had been In. |
structed i've days before the strike to /
propose, as last resort, joint submis. |
sion to the Railroad Labor Board. il |
the company would agree to accept Its |
decision. and that they did not present |
this proposition. When it was pre-.
scented, IL came through a third party. |
That the men did not convey this |
offer to the management constitutes a |
weakness In their case"