Evening star., 1938-09-30
picture on Page 49,

Sy inc AS6OClatco FTeSS.
Counsel for the Nations railroads
asserted today that labor organiza-
tions. land they alone" are responsi-
BILE for the emergency which threat.
ems q Nationwide rail strike.
j. Carter Fort. speaking for the
carriers, made this. charge as the
Emergency Board appointed by Presi-
dent Roosevelt opened its public hear
ings in search Of a way to avert
strike over a proposed IS per cent
wage cut.
Chief Justice Walter P. Stacy of
the North Carolina Supreme Court,
chairman of the three-man board, told
representatives for carriers and the
railroad brotherhoods that the boards
mission is findings of fact"
"Our desire Is to get full picture"
the tall Judge remarked as he asked
lawyers on each side to work out
an informal agreement for dividing
time.
Several hundred persons. chiefly
men. packed the large caucus room
Of the House once Building more
than an hour before the hearings
started.
Union Attitude Assailed.
Mr.. Fort, IN outlining the carriers'
case. accused the unions Of fatly
refusing to carry out the spirit Of
the National Mediation Act.
He said that since first announce
ment Of the proposed wage cut re
sponsible leaders Of railroad labor
organizations publicly announced that
they would agree to no reduction Of
wages"
Almost a million employees Of the
Nations railroads already have voted
to strike fGther than accept the Is per
cent wage cut ordered by the car
riers. The wage slash was to have be-
come effective tomorrow, but under
the National Mediation Act, invoked
by President Roosevelt when he ap-
pointed the emergency board, neither
side can take any action for so days.
The law gives the board 80 days in
which to prepare its recommended
tions. An additional 3o-day period
must elapse before either strike or
wage cut could become effective.
Neither side is bound, however, to
accept the boards findings.
Toughest Problem Yet.
Because of the number of workers in
volved and the failures which have
dogged efforts to settle the wage con-
troversy, officials said the emergency
boards task was the toughest prob
lem of its kind since the Mediation
Act became law. Sixteen other emer-
gency boards have been created under
the Mediation Act since 1926. but
officials said their problems did not
compare in magnitude to the present
one.
Chief Justice Stacy, chairman OF
the present board, served on sew
eral Of the earlier emergency boards,
and Prof. Harry A. Willis of Chi
cago University was = member OF
the original National Labor Rela-
tions Board. The third member,
Dean James E. Lands Of the Harvard
Law School, formerly was chairman of
the Securities and Exchange Commits
sion.
The President directed the group
to report to him by October ~.
Railroads contend the wage cut
would save $3.50, ,000, 900 annually for
carriers that are hard-pressed finan-
cially, and that If employees insist
on . strike, some lines will be forced
to suspend operations.
The brotherhoods are united in
opposition. They say railroads are
employing fewer workers and that
the present hourly pay is near the
1920 level while other industries have
advanced wages. They also claim
that If railroads cut wages, q wave
Of wage-slashing in industries would
result.