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Show SHOPMEN OVEN BITTER SCORING CHICAGO. March 2 4. Counter !'.in-'N in reas.-s by rall- 1004 ehdpoten at a time when rail-1 roads were asking reductions were characterized as 4 strategic move, "coldly calculated to Interfere with mil i, . lay" a pew wage agreement by J. V. lllgglnai, representing Weetern railroads, before the railroad labor board toda. Mr Hlggins made the closing argument ar-gument against the employes' charges, preferred by B. M. Jewell, head of the shopcrafts unions, that the roads had not held proper conference; with employes em-ployes under tjie transportation act. prior to bringing their wage cut requests re-quests to the board. I I I I.I . .H I Nl l Mr. Hlggins declared the charges "unfair and unsupported" and scored the unions for asking wage increases "In the face of the tact that the labor board recognized n downward trend; of wages in its wage reduction order i Of Jul . I9J1, and In spile of the con-j tlnued downward trend since that date.'' Mr. Jewell's allegation that, railroad officeru wire without author- ply to negotiate w.ige rules. Mr1 Ilig-g,n Ilig-g,n said. "Is wholly Imaginary.'' Mr. IliKgiri.x called the iA)ard's attention at-tention to the character of Information Informa-tion which he said tho union men had Jask"d of Ihe railroad officials. lu-Icluclim; lu-Icluclim; iiuc.-ulons In capital stock. Mionded debt, earnings, traffic outlook, I development and fluctuation and t Inroad's In-road's ability to pay. The railroad representative ib-.-inred such matters had never come up before In local conferences and that operating officials offic-ials were not In position to give de-I de-I lulled information on those subjects. (I nis . ion FAITH ' We hold that proper conferences ' Wire held," air Hlggins said In clos-1 clos-1 ing. "We produced evidence from the j individual railroads that establishe d beyond a doubt thai the railroads, In llheae conferences were prepared to isubtuin. and did adequately sustain, itiieir propoeed ratee, with supportinK 'data Bl to rates puld on outside lu- Iduatrlea, inflations in living coats. jet v have shown that definite and .ii tmct dlaputee resulted from tin-.-,'-rconferendea, we have shown that the ! federation chairmen were not free ag- eul - "The railroad companies have not attempted to inject extraneous matter mat-ter into i heir argument for wage reductions re-ductions and WO do earnestly protest against the unfair md unsupported Icharges if bed faith made by Mr Jewel and against his attempt at this date to obatruet and further delav ihe hearings.'' |