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Show mibKttKLNCE WITH RAILROAD TRAFFIC WILL BE PUNISHED Executives of Shopmen's Shop-men's Union, Too, Characterize Action as a "Fatal Mistake." Workers Told in Emphatic Em-phatic Terms That Organization's Or-ganization's Usefulness Is Being Imperiled. LOS ANGELES, Cal., Aug. 28. L. L. Sanford, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, En-gineers, shortly before midnight expressed the opinion that trainmen train-men and members of the ' ' Big Four" who are on strike here will return to work before Saturday morning. SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 28. Striking San Francisco yardmen decided tonight to return to -work at 8 o 'clock, according to T. Ahearn, superintendent of the coast division of the Southern Pacific. (Chicago Tribune Special Service. WASHINGTON, Aug. 2S. The threatened threat-ened strike of 600,000 shopmen, which would paralyze the railroads of the country coun-try and checkmate the efforts of the government gov-ernment to tatter down the hl(;h cost of living, will not be sanctioned by the American Federation of Labor and was characterized today by executive officers of the shopmen's unions as a "fatal mistake." mis-take." Soon after President Gompers and his associates of the federation had conferred with oflicials of the railway employees department, a circular letier sinned bj the executive officers of the Railway Shop "Workers' union was sent lo the local lo-cal unions throughout the country, counseling coun-seling against a strike to force a 2i p-r cent increase in wages. The workers were told In emphatic terms that a strike under present conditions condi-tions would appeal to every right thinking think-ing man as detrimental lo the organization, organiza-tion, which had neeiled thirty years v'' untiring effort to upbuild. The letter to the workers Inclosed t he letter written by Director General HlnH to A. O. Wharton, chairman of the board ofjrailroad wages and working condition;?, notifying him that Die policy of ihu government gov-ernment at this time wouid he aualns granting any general Increases to railroad workers, NO RAISES UNLESS OTHER REMEDIES FAIL. The official circular then fays; "In our opinion, the Importance of tnis communlca t!on warm nts the placing u,r it In the hands of the, entire membership. member-ship. "It must he un'ieJiHood that pra'iica all classes of niilroad employees have, presented pre-sented demands for substantial Inrroast-fc in wages or have not llb-d the administration adminis-tration of their Intention to do .so n t an early dnte. "In effect, it Is our understanding ilia: this letier Is a noti;e to all raWrmd em-ploye?H em-ploye?H that there shall he no further in-cruises in-cruises in railroad wagfs unle.1--.! the efforts ef-forts of the I'nlted StntH aulhorilba prove unavailing In reducing the preseht hitrh living cost "The fcil era ted shop trades repref.'p n approximately 22 per nt of tin total numbi-r of railroad employe'-H. r inns;, be obvious t hn t in l he event living cost are not reduced wHe inerejiscs must anil will he mati'r, and. If that is done, ; rrmwt al.o be obvious that th raibo;id administration must give eiul consideration consid-eration to all classes of employees. STONE AND LEE QUOTED IN LETTER. "As you are w-H awar- President 1 P'one of the IJrofherhood of locnniot i vj ! Kngineers and I're.-ld'-nt J-n (,f the : Urotherhood of Kallnind Trainmen ar" on record to Th- effect rhat wages must go up or livlnir costs go down. Coupled wirti this fact, practically K per cent of the railroad employees have made requests for wage increases that a re equal or I'i ea t'T than request h submitted by the fed era t '-i shop 1 rad'-H. "Th'-ir requests have been denied except ex-cept where It can be shown that th'-y have not been l ven re I a t Iviy th sa me consideration. This means that only ad-Ju."t ad-Ju."t rnents of inequa 1 1 1 b-fj -win be made I (Continued on Page '1, Column 2.) STH OPPOSED BY FEDEMTIDa (Continued Ytcz Pao One.) I 1 where it can be demonstrated that such j ine-pj;illties exist. "If the federated shop trades strike now r.h'-y carry the full burcb-n of securing tho ram-: gr.ri.-r.il incr'-ase for the 7i per cnt of the ra 1 1 road employees who have not y-t decided what act ion they propose to take. 'f do not believe that we should I alh e.v ours.-ives lo be placed in that 1 position. I "In our opinion, the next ninety days ; will bring the entire situation to a head, ' and if a :-trike is to take place every ciass ! of railroad employees should be willing j to join in the movement, tihare their full : measure of responsibility, and not leave' j the Issue to be decided by the 22 per cent of the railroad employees represented by ! the federated trades. J "Tin- adjustment of wages that has ! been offered to the federated shop trades, I if accepted, will establish increases that I are prHetieally equivalent to the increases , grant'-d any other class of railroad employees. em-ployees. This must not be lost sight of in considering the situation we now face. ! "It is cnnridvuble that men may decide to do a thing in a manner that will lessen : their chances of ultimate success, but I common sense dictates that 2- per cent ; of the railroad employees should not un-: un-: dertake to fight the battle for the 7S j per cen t who have asked for general wage increases and who have been de-! de-! nied, as we have, any further genera 1 ' Increases unless tiie effort to increase the purchasing value of the dollar by reduc-1 reduc-1 ing living costs proves unsuccessful. I "With a reasonable degree of certainty, 1 we recognize that this letter, coupled with : the recommendation we propose to maKt, I will draw criticisms from tho individuals j in our organizations who have not a yet Indicated a desire to listen to reason or : abide by any criticism not of their own j making. I "Thorp is not now nor has there ever ! been object ioit to honest criticism. Such i criticism Is not objectionable; on the con-; con-; trary, it is welcome, and this comment is made for the express purpose of directing 1 the attention of the membership to meiri-! meiri-! hers who have, by various means, introduced intro-duced methods of procedure which must appeal to every right thinking union man : as being detrimental to the organization : that we have perfected as the result of I thirty years' untiring effort and generally against every obstacle that could be in-! in-! vented to defeat us. Conclusions of Committee. "In view of the facts, as above stated, your executive officers and national agree7 ment committee recommended that the (piestion of suspending work ue left in our hands with the understanding that no strike order will be issued unless such action becomes absolutely necessary to meet the conditions arising from the present pres-ent situation or in joint action with other railroad organizations for a general wage increase. "The above recommendation is made after mature deliberation and consideration considera-tion of all the elements entering into this controversy. It is our honest Judgment that a fatal mistake would be made by our members to assume the responsibility of tying up the railroads at this time when tne president is evidently doing all possible pos-sible to reduce the high cost of living. lt is but fair to assume that the president presi-dent will have the loyal support of a ma-joiity ma-joiity of the American public in his effort ef-fort to procure this much-needed relief. We would, no doubt, be charged with obstructing ob-structing his efforts. "It should be understood, however, that if the government fails to effect a substantial sub-stantial reduction in the cost of living within a reasonable time, we reserve the : right to put the strike vote Into effect ; "Wo sincerely trust that the contents ' of this letter will be given the consideration consid-eration this important subject merits." The letter was signed by J. F. Anderson, Ander-son, International Association of Machinists; Ma-chinists; J. M. Burns, Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers, International association-F. association-F. C. Boiam. International Brotherhood of Blacksmiths and Helpers; James P 1 Noonan, International Brotherhood of Klectrical Workers; William Atkinson i International Brotherhood of Boilermak- ' ers. Iron Shipbuilders and Helpers 'of ! America; TUartln F. Ryan, Brotherhood of Kaiiway Carmen of America, and Bert M. Jewell, acting president railway employees' em-ployees' department, A. F. of L.. |