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Show DAVIS URGES ABOLISHING RAIL BOARD I CABINET MAN SAYS RE HAS I BETIES PLAN Labor Secretary Wants Fed-! Fed-! eral Conciliation Body Appointed SPEECH IS SURPRISE I Davis Emphatic in Declaring Declar-ing Ea.il Board Is Failure I International News Service , ATHENS, Ohio. Oct. 14. Abolition of the United States railroad labor board anl the creation by President I Harding ol a federal conciliation board to function tnrough the department depart-ment of labor to keep ' industrial peace on the railroad" was the rev olutionary plan advocated, by Becretanj cf Labor James J Ijms. In an address Here tonigttt. 1 Becretkry Davi in the first cabinet OffiC( r to come out flatfoOtedly for the abolition of Lhu railway labor board as result of its fuluro to function during the railroad strike 01 shopmen. His speech here tonight caused con-Blderabie con-Blderabie speeulatlop an to whether the administration will not itself sponsor spon-sor legislation to amend the Esch Cummins railroad law in the nejtl s s-slon s-slon of ongress. CLAIMS SVSl l M I Mi s ! ' I am utt r.y unable to dlscoxc r tin-.wisdom tin-.wisdom ol uuy such quasl-govern-mi ntal partisan organization as the railroad board;" Bocretarv Davis ) -Qlarpd, pointing out that th- board was unable to function properly because be-cause of the tendency of both the railway rail-way and the workers to press their minor differences for settlement by tha- Chicago tribunal. ' Despite the high hopes of Its authors au-thors and the earnest labors d oted to its creation," he continued, "the system has failed to work out as It was cp cted to work out. For this machinery ma-chinery I would substitute a new program, pro-gram, based on principle as old as time. ' r'or the powerless futility of quasi-governmental quasi-governmental Interference. without ad quate authority 1 would submit as a substitute the innate fairness of the average man In his relations with his fellows. i "For the empty threat of quani-gov-ernmental weakness I would substitute the powerful force of the community of intero.-t which always exists between be-tween employer and employe, l would gie the employer and the employe the opportunity to meet, man-to-man through their chosen repres ntatlves, 'and thresh out their differences, free from the hope or the fear that meddling meddl-ing quasi-OTflclats would IhterferT: to cast their little influence in the balance bal-ance in favor of one sme or the other." oth-er." Under his plan, Becretary Davis explained, ex-plained, local grievances would be st-tled st-tled within the rallwa c. ianlzation. If noeeasary. with the heH of the conciliation con-ciliation Bervloe of the labor deportment, deport-ment, If this failed. Da D said he would offer a "lederal board, where railroad executives or representatives (of the workers could voluntarily SUb- in 1 1 th' lr i hums for mediaiion and conciliation. HOARD OF Ml HI TIO This board would follow closely the Mines of the federal board of mediation media-tion and conciliation, still authorized by law. but which has ceased to function func-tion since congress failed to provide for its maintenance after creating the 'railroad labor board by Ihe Esch-Cummlns Esch-Cummlns act. '1 would c mphatlco lly oppose Investing In-vesting this board with any authority !to compel a settlement or to decree tin terms of -in agreement." Davis declared ' I would not permit this board to operate as an independent government agency. I would have It function through the department of labor, where, according to all our experience, ex-perience, there are the proper facilities facilit-ies and background and knowledge to ! aid its operation." i "Wages and working contracts ar-rlved ar-rlved at after such mediation, could be made enforceable," Secretary Davis declared, "by having agreement filed with a federal district court." En route from Washington to the Pacific coast on B political speech-I speech-I making tour, Secretary Davis stopped i off here tonirrht at the behest of Republican Re-publican pampalgn managers of President Pres-ident rlarding'fl home state. |