Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-08
Fact Finders Named
By Truman, Deferring
Big Railroad Strike

President Truman today ap-
pointed an emergency finding
board to investigate the dispute in
volving the Brotherhoods of Rail-
road Trainmen and Locomotive
Engineers, an action which was ex-
pected to defer the Nation wide
strike, Of the two unions set for
Monday.
Mr.. Truman told his news confer
ence he had named the following
persons to the fact-f1nding board (:
Frank M. Swacker, New York at
torney; Left Erickson, former judge
Of the Montana Supreme Court, and
Gordon s. Watkins, department of
economics Of the University of Cali
fornia.
The Presidents only comment
was that the members came from
widely different sections of the
country. He acted under the Rail-
way Labor Act in making the ap-
pointments.
Rank and File Group Formed.
Earlier, A. F. Whitney, head of
the trainmen, had said in Cleveland
that naming of a fact-finding board
would defer the strike long enough
to give the board the time allotted
by law"
Also from Cleveland came an an
nouncement of formation of frank
and-file" movement within the rail-
road brotherhoods.
Wellington Roe, a writer who was
under contract to the Brotherhood
of Railroad Trainmen, until Mr.
Whitney dismissed him last week
with a statement that he had been
shown disloyalty and insubordina-
ton, announced at press confer
ence formation of the National
Rank and File Association. He said
1t would be composed of members
Of the larger railroad operating
brotherhoods.
Mr.. Whitney and Alvanley John
ston, head of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, today de-
clared the movement nothing to
worry about" and said it had a
communist flavor"
Main Offices in New York.
Mr.. Roe said "a delegates from
New York, Chicago, Seattle, Pitts
burgh and st. Louis, represent
ing approximately $4,000" railroad
workers, mostly from the BRIT and
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers, formed the association here
yesterday for democratic and in
telligent representation" of the
workers.
Headquarters will be in New York,
where Mr.. Roe said he was a mem
Der of a BRIT local.
One of the aims of the group, he
added, is to GUST Mr.. Whitney. The
latter had dismissed Mr.. Roe be-
cause he elaborated Oh a magazine
article discussing the Railway Labor
Act, Mr.. Whitney claiming the arti-
Gle contained objectionable" mate
rial. Mr.. Roe asserted there was no
reflection on the BRIT.
Referendum Vote Favored.
Mr.. Roe said the delegates who
formed the new association repre-
sent workers who want any settle
ment Of wage and working rule
issues, reached under the leadership
of Mr.. Whitney and Mr.. Johnston,
to be referred to a referendum vote
of rank and file members.
The two brotherhoods are seeking
wage increases which average rs per
cent, and As changes in railroad
working rules. Other rail unions
accepted arbitration of the wage
issue while the rule issue remains in
mediation, but the trainmen and
engineers demand the two be con-
sidered together.
The BRIT has 215,000 members
and the BILE has $4,000.
One of the aims of the new or
ganization, Mr.. Roe said, was to
give the workers leadership which
would stymie 'raiding" by organizers
for the United Mine Workers Dis
trict so.