The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-20
R. R. UNION
HEADS In
RETREAT
Accept Co. Demand
for 6 Mos. Extension
Of Pay Cut
BARRAGE OF DEMAGOGY
Answer With United
Front Committees

CHICAGO, Dec. 10. - Tta
railway union leaders are re-
treating here in the negoti-
ations with the representatives
of the companies, having now
abandoned even their criminal
ly futile proposal for the ex-
tension Of the 10 per cent. ode
duction' for another year, and &C
cepting the company demand for
six months continuation. The re-
treat is being made under a bar
rage Of militant sounding phrases
about social injustice" the rights
of human beings" versus property
rights, ETC., put out for rank and
file consumption.
Reject Only Effective Weapon.
But in the face of the obvious de-
termination of the railway companies
and Wall Street banks and insurance
companies to put over an additional
wage reduction and revision of work
ing rules downward, the officials of
the 81 railway unions deliberately re-
frain from calling upon the member
ship to prepare for the only method
Of struggle that can and will defeat
the railway owners-united strike
action.
Prefer Legal" Wage Cuts.
The only issue remaining to be
settled formally in the conference
here is whether the union officials
will agree to the companies moving
for wage reductions under the Wat
son-Parker arbitration law during the
six months extension Of the 10 per
cent cut. Tt is probable that no
agreement will be reached on this
point and. for the companies, this is
not a vital question. They intend
TO cut wages no matter what they
agree to but of course would prefer
to have everything Legal.
Blame Workers for Crisis.
Further evidence of this intention
and confirmation of the statement
made by the Daily Worker that a
nationwide campaign under Wall
Street Offices is under way against
the wages and working conditions Of
the rail workers, was contained in a
telegram received here yesterday by
A. F. Whitney, chairman of the Rail-
way Labor Executives Association.
The telegram was sent by Kirk Fox,
editor of Successful Farming, a
paper published in Des Moines as a
propaganda organ Of the banks mil
ling and railroad interests.
Putting the blame for the continu-
alton Of the crisis upon the rail work
ers, the wire stated with character
istic demagogy that farmers believe
your wage policy constitutes one OF
the chief obstacles to economic re-
covery, It being obvious that radical
reductions in hourly rates Of rail-
road pay are essential to radical re-
duction in freight rates"
Coolidge and Smith In Action.
Such expressions are results of the
campaign now carried on by the Ma
tional Transportation Committee,
headed by Calvin Coolidge and AL
fred e. Smith, uniting the machin-
cry of the Republican and Democrat
Parties against the railway workers
and completing arrangements to
place the incoming Roosevelt admin
istration in the forefront of the Wall
Street offensive against rail wages
and working conditions.
Calls for United Front Committees.
The Brotherhoods Unity Committee
is calling upon the rank and file
OF the railway workers to elect united
front committees consisting OF men,
bers of all the unions as we'll as I'M
organized workers and build fighting
organizations in all terminals and
shops to resist the drive on their
wages and working conditions. The
Brotherhoods Unity Committee warns
the rail workers that the policy of
the union officials is one of sur
render and that by discouraging all
preparations for strike action they
are putting the workers at the mercy
of the companies and their Wall st.
owners.