Oklahoma Leader (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 106, Ed. 1 Friday, December 16, 1921 Page: 3 of 6
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Gateway to Oklahoma History by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
OKLAHOMA LEADER
Wall Street Control of the Nation's Railroad Labor Pol
PAGE FIVE
,der Want Ad ]
Information
• Through th« courtesy of the Seattle Inion Record we arc
at.lo to print th« diagram showing Wall Mret-t control of the
lai'.roads of the country. We aru also able to print In thi
1 -*ue an article from the i*in of Frank 1*. Walsh, which ap-
i>t-ure(l in The Nation under date of November - N-> one is
better equipped to discus* this question than Mr. Walsh, as
his work as chairman of the Industrial Relations Commission
gave him exceptional opportunities to learn the bottom tacts
us to railroad control.—Editor.)
R) FKANK WALSH
Some railway executives did not want a railroad
strike. Others did. But their personal preference for
their own railroads did not matter. The labor policy
that forced the strike threat was imposed upon all the
railroads by Wall Street, and in particular by the
House of Morgan acting through its agent, Thomas
DeWitt Cuyler, president of the Association of Rail-
way Executives, and a director, inter ana, of the Bank-
ers Trust Company, the Guaranty Trust Company, the
I'nited States Mortgage and Trust Company, and the
Kquitable Life Assurance Society of New York City.
The Bankers Trust and the Guaranty Trust ars Mor-
gan banks. It is of particular interest that Thomas
DeWitt Cuyler holds the greatest number of bank
directorships of any man in the United States.
sits on the board of directors of a dozen New York
institutions and he is also a director of the Pennsyl
vania Company for the Insurance of Lives and Grant
ing Annuities and of the Glrard Trust Company or
Philadelphia.
Mr. Cuyler made his relations clear in his test!
mony before the Railway Labor Board last March. He
said he was a lawyer by profession, director of the
banks mentioned, and not a practical railroad man.
and that he knew nothing whatever about the practical
operation of railroads. Cuyler is nevertheless a direc-
tor of the Pennsylvania Railroad and of half a dozen
other lines. He is the chairman of what Is called
the Road Committee of the Pennsylvania. This Road
( ommlttee has the supreme power to define the labor
policies of that road. There are five members of this
committee; the president and first vice president are
ex-oflkdo m inhers. The lirst vice president in charge
of operations of the Pennsylvania is W. W. Atterbury,
who happens also to be a director or the Philadelphia
Trust Company and of the Franklin National Bank of
Philadelphia. This Road Committee, Cuyler said, is
selected from the board of directors of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad; it is given power by that board to
create the road's labor policies, with the limitation that
it must report its action to the whole board of direc-
tors. It has been In existence for many years, Cuyler
having been on it for the last live or six. He could
recall no Instance where the directors rejected any
policy adopted by the Road Committee.
Know Nothing About Kuilrtiud
with Mr. Atterbury in the chair. The vote upon this
resolution was seven to three In favor of its adoption,
Atterbury again submitting the minority report, oppos-
ing the continuation of the national agreements and
the creation of adjustment boards. But despite the
vote of the Labor Committee against the Atterbury-
Cuyler policy of not conferring with labor, the Execu-
tives' Association never took action upon the resolu-
tion. Again, two months later, the majority resolution
was Introduced by Mr. Gray In the Labor Committee,
and was again adopted by u vote of six to three. But
again no action was taken.
Demand!) Abrogation of ltnles.
There being no agreement between the management
and the representatives of the railroad workers, the
whole qustlon of the continuation of the national agree-
ment and of the creation of adjustment board was re-
ferred to the United States Railroad Labor Board, cre-
ated • > tbi transportation act. Now in the Railwaj
Kxecutives' Association there was another committee
known as the Management Committee, of which E. T.
Whiter was chairman. This committee consists of five
members, some of them practical railroad men and
some of them industrial experts and statisticians.
Railroad Executives' Association ordered this Manage-
ment Committee to appear before the Railroad i-abor
Board to demand the abrogation of all existing national
agreements and working rules, and, In the event of
failure to secure the abrogation, to attack and attempt
to have abrogated or modified every Individual rule in
the national agreement and code of working rules. But
the I^abor Boara refused to abrogate the agreements
and rules as a whole, and proceeded to hear the repre-
sentatives of tho railroads on the question of the abro-
gation or modification of the individual rules. At the
close of the railroad companies' case Mr. Atterbury
suddenly appeared and again demanded that the hear-
ings go no further, but that the board abrogate the
national agreements and every antlonal working rule
in existence, on the ground that they were costing th
railroad companies $300,000,000 per year, and that mi-
less they were abrogated at once every railroad in
United States would become bankrupt. The board de-
nied his request, and made an immediate ruling in a
case then pending before it. to the effect that under
the transportation act the United States Railroad Labor
Board could not take into consideration the financial
condition of a railroad. Prior to this time, of course,
the railroads had secured immense increases in freight
and passenger rates, for the express purpose of meet-
ing the wages as they existed, and which were being
paid under the national agreements and working rules
then and now in existence.
After the appearance of Mr. Atterbury before the
Railroad Labor Board, the Labor Committee of the
Executives' Association, which still adhered to Its more
enlightened policy, was dissolved. Tho railroad record
Of his four fellow members on the Road Committee. ......
two were lawyers like himself who had no railroad Hhows that it was dissolved by request of the members
But Mr. Gray, its former chairman and still a member
at the time of its dissolution, testified that he had w
knowledge of the dissolution of the committee until he
read it in the newspapers!
Mr. Cuyler Is Mistaken.
Mr. Cuyler denied repeatedly upon the witness stand
that he had ever issued any orders or made any request
upon the individual labor policy, or to take any action
with respect to any labor matter, but that each road
ted in its individual capacity and according to the
.„dgment and discretion of its own executives. Now
lt is the dissolution of the Labor Committee, logically, would
have resulted in leaving the national agreements and
experience and, he said, knew less about the rules and
national agreements governing the working conditions
upon railroads than he did. The other two members
of the Road Committee were "retired business men,"
neither one of whom had any practical railroad ex-
perience nor the slightest knowledge of the national
agreements, rules, and working conditions then under
consideration. Yet these are the gentlemen who deter-
mine the labor policies of the Pennsylvania.
Mr. Cuyler also testified that ho was chairman of
the Railway Executives' Association, which consists of "unci discretion of its own executivei
the president, or vice president in charge of operations, J.
of each of 101 railroads in the United States.
<m wvu i . tinvft resulted in leaving uie iiuuuimi a6>dduicuio « >•
the final determining body as to the labor policies upon . . ' ru|es gtji] jn existence, without any defendant
all these railroads. Each member road has one vote l)efore tbp Railroad Labor Board, because Mr. Whiter's
on all questions that come before the I.xecutives As- iUce (|erjVcd all of its authority, as was shown by
Thfi rnilroiid Hvsteins. however- 101' exam- evidence from that Labor Committee. Yet after ttu
Bociatlon. The railroad yysteinH, however
pie the New York Central and the Pennsylvania rail-
rna'de- have the risht to cast one vote for cui li of their
subsidiaries, so that on all questions coming before
tlw association the Pennsylvania has eight votes and
the New York central ten. The eight votes of the
Pennsylvania railroad are cast by W. W. Atterbury, the
subordinate of T. De Witi Cuyler on the all-important
llniid Committee of that railroad, and the ten votes of
tin* New York Central are cast by the president of that
road. A. 11. Smith. Now this Executives' Association
dissolution of tho Labor Committee telegrams were
received from practically all of the 101 individual rail
roads, giving authority to the Whiter committee to
represent them before the Railroad Labor Board and
to resist the continuation of fhn national agreements
im^tent and working rules. All the telegrams received by the
the all-important Rallroud lillbor Board were eouched in Identical lan-
guage. It happened, however, that one of the roads
which sent a telegram of authorization to tlie board
for the Whiter committee did so inadvertently, its
representing these 101 roads, has given further author- Jj0(,utiveB |mving already made terms with the work-
itv to lis chairman, T. De Witt Cuyler, to appoint a ^ ^ |ipon thejr nwn working rules, and they
small standing committee of .7 members of wh en therefore di(, not wlsll to be a party to the dispute
I uyler is again chairman. And in l.il.I thei standing beforo the Uailro„d Labor Board. In making this ex-
eommlttee gave T. Pe W Itt < uyler the authority to , UoI1 lh introdUced into the evidence a telegram
appoint from its membership a Labor ( ommlttee. Mr. pRh n 1921i slgned hy T. DeWitt Cuyler, stat-
( uyler appointed Carl K. Gray, now president of th, "you aro requested to send the following telegram
I inion Pacific System, as the chairman of that com- ^ united States Railroad Labor Board," and then
mittee. with three others. Additions were made to the repeatinK verbatim the telegram which the Labor B,
committee from time to time, so that when the ques- ^ recelv(!(1 from practically all of the 101 roads—
lion of the national agreements and working rules be- U(JW| ,hut ( llylcr was mistaken when he said that
came the subject of controversy before the CnHteid , ^ djd nm ]nakt, requeBts of the railroads as to their
States Railroad Labor Board the Labor Committee num- f ,ides_ and Bhow|ng that he not only had made
bered eleven. Mr. Cuyler testified that this Labor BtB but h.ld given the railroads procise words to
Committee was clothed with full authority to adopt United States Railroad iJtbor Board, and
lahor oolicies for all of tho railroads of the United f,eu^ , ,.„snnnd
States, subject to ratification by the Railway Execu-
tivesf Association.
Employes Seek Conference.
When government operations of the railroads ended
the railroad employes applied to tho Executives' Asso-
ciation for a conference looking toward an agreement
and working rules and for the
hoards of adjustment
reation of national
as provided for in the Escb-
that no railroad had failed to respond.
Shows Banking Gronp Control.
Further, as showing the complete control of the
banking group through Mr. Cuyler, a letter was pro-
duced, addressed to Mr. Atterbury by Mr. Cuyler of t
date Aug. 10, 1920. from Bar Harbor, Maine, where
Mr. Cuyler was spending his vacation, suggesting that i
the time was possibly ripe for attempting some com-
promise with the workers' organizations, and outlining
J*00.
IfABT
nmuVM uitUi
.me day. Caicedtt
l received ui.UI li
menu*
I' M AM hi)
i Kit
TTY
£ BPOTWfl /
L*
rb
re*?*
□R. Lafln
Log
I CUCAflfl HUI HJlUHl
li 8Aiygwm.mwn.iiA3
iwt.MMW-wimyw
1 >«. 1 UIkum
Bry Hharpsnlng Co.
1. niukm Uiutu belle:
i'l J5c pt.r dosen.
NEW YORK BANK CONTROL OF
RAILROADS * RR. EQUIPMENT
COMPANIES
soy*
ader in Okla
we *.
ip a L«<tUci
to youi
DagJSSm,&rA&
i mt mwihh
[cn.c HH t, 1 am \\-
IAV l Vi
1 in. rwa'wg-irwsT^
f ZLAHAKA m
1811.4 . H H. ITH.Mt. i
I W-V. CgjT. ST. LIMlCI
I VA 6d*Hm K\\
I EWtlHWA.HJLB''"
HOI, ^ 1
1 lcmhh aliMig'j
|-KAHXWWA B. MltUittKK W-
RUILAUP
I WT. HIU.tlld.lw"
rf7^rpJV0''iQ "C<K t N
Bill
r enit. inn, a Lajuvtrj
fL.fc.H*igeM w
I ISLAWO
I pr§l MA>ChjL
f BtuAWARC 4 Miib? ';
1 ccwTRAL mrgr-RT
1 c c.c 5
CEEH303IS5
I'ftJiLA & RCAD'Mo
CEHiE^jSEQSjBm-
BUT
im« xsawT"
1 NX HH KIT
DH
^ahaoian cak . ro.i
amckican smt rt>
Lift US.
UTUAI
STANOARO STCIL
yuiTAHU TRUO
yV(.H)UWAHO IRON CO
COHPAHt
JPiiOCt-GAXACO
AMCRtCAN LOCO
GUARANTt TRUST
■■COMPANY*
BlTHLl KtN 5TLCL
MlO*Kir 6T f ti
PULLMAN CO.
AMEH. SURCTX Ca
BALDWIN tOCOHOTIVC
NAT SURITY CO.
KHlOiANICt A WLTALS
HAT. BAUM
NA6ACLL A BARKER
AMIK.HKAM SNOl
MATION/U. CITY
BANIi
SAFE TI CAR HEATING
IPL 5TICL 6PR NG
trust ca
RAIL JOINT Co
LltAA LOCONOTIMF
CHASE NAT nf\NIS
fKlSSt0 J.TILL CAR
SOUTHfKN WNCEL
UC STEEL COWf
I CKWfWAI. i
LAC RAW A MA STEEL
EACN CONNCCTINO LINE RlPKtSlNTS
enr OR MORE DIRECTORSHIPS
ONt oi*rcTo«s*« '
TWO OlHCCmUiMlPt
twtlt oiktctohsmirs
rouR mmiBHiiW
cVi 1 < ■<
North
QZ RAILROADS
22 RR.tOOlFMtRT COS
12 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
(urnmills Transportation Act. Tho V^or (ommlttee ,hp methods or opposition to the national
of the Railway Executives Associating met at, ( hicago e , natinnai npropmpnts t«
to take action
(ion providing ior «« « «r went
nilwiiy Executives' Assoclatlo^ inet nt. lH)al.,|s 0f adjustment and national agreemrnts to bt-
ction upon this rcQuest./and ^l«pti''i .1. iesolu-| ^ ,ieforo tht. Kailroad Labor Board. This letter
,-ldlng for a nieetins with ih^MttPTOuntat:ives s(( f;ir a8 suggest arguments that might be
ofthe workers and for the cation, if possible, of
national boards of adjustment which wfmld setjle all
controversies that might arise over tf« e
tional agreements and working iuI' ■■■
nereements in force or thereafter adtiH*
W W. Atterbury. vice presidciiHtTe iar^- of opera-
tions of the Pennsylvania UajM^'i a<id a tuhord natc
nf Mr ( uyler was a ni. nilwf of lhuJ.'<hnr ( ommlttee.
nnii he alone of the eleven members voted "gamst the
resolution. Had the resolution been adopted, the con-
troevrsles which have sine, Ihreaienul the operation
of every railroad in the United States would have been
avoided But when the majority and minority resolu-
tions were submitted to the full nieetins ol I he Railway
Executives' Association on the following day, tin Atter-
hurv minority report was adopted l> a yi.e1 of 1. to 41
Mr Cuyler had authority to appoint the Labor 1 om-
mHtee as well as its cbalrm„n. wm,. the majority
resolution was voted down by the a - latton, 'art .i.i>
made before the board on behalf of the railroads,
The admissions made by Mr. Cuyler settle beyond
all possibility of dispute the fact that the railroads of
the country are. as far as their labor policies are con-
cerned, absolutely atnl ill every detail controlled by
the banking group of Wall Street through the voice
and hand of Mr. Cuyler. What that means in the pres-
ent situation of threatened railroad strike Is clear.
The strike threat was precipitated by the unexpected
action of the railway executives, who had done nothing
to relieve the burdens of farmers and business men by
reducing freight rates, in suddenly demanding a fur-
ther 10 per c ent cut In railroad wages in addition to
th, 1- per cent cut which took effect July 1. There
has been no surrender of control of labor policy by
Mr. cuyler since he testified last March. If the strike
for lt will belong to Mr. Cuyler,
Hays' Department
Recognizes Soviet
In Its Regulations
HHNNF11 V'S SON ELEVEN JURORS IN BOX
UUNNbLLIO aUi* HEAR SAB0 CHARGES
SLUGGED AGAIN
WASHINGTON. Dec.
Russia is recognized by ti
flee department, even i i
recognized by the i>n ; id<
state department.
In an official notiei
No. 32706
At the department the v
1 given that each inemt
published
Lai Bulb-
within that
mailed to pe
[)ii8 In the
cplanation
er of the
that mat-
> circulate
1 not he
ountry.
Second Assistant Postmaster 1 m
Shaughneflfcy dntyfSunct that:
Lette/s, posty&rd
commercial papers.
1 VTHI.K
SVILLE, C
comes responsibility
agent of the House of Morgan. Behind the open shop merchandise, ordinary I ,,
resolution wasvoted no n , ment that b agitating industry I mm on. end of „aCe. lrt.
"Ug^Ln of the Labor Committee; the,, ,,,on with-, ihis country to the other is the same direction by ,i„.-i,,,i.;
as chairman 01 ini 1"n"'1 ,inn,,iI.l..li \it«>rl)urv to h inkine forces. J. P. Morgan b dictation of wage policy , '
lowvinn the chair Cuyler appointed Atterbuiy to, hanwngrome^^ wM reveale(i bcf0/e | and Azerbaijan) ml
For the second time in the
six months Mike Donnelly, Jr.. son
of the city commissioner of finance,
was attacked by a burglar Tuesday .
night, according to a report which h«- \
turned in to the police.
The young man declared that h«' .
heard the burglar trying to get |
through the window and fired thn «'j
shot*. He rushed to the front door]
and out on the porch in pursuit ami j
was slugged on tho head by tt
who lurked near the front di
said. The burglar fled.
Police were called to the scene and
| made a thorough search «-f the neigh-
borhood and premises, but found no
I trace of the young man's assailant.
Comml loner Donnelly w
COALGATE, Okla., Dec. 16.—Kiev-
past !' n Jurors were III the box when court
p. ned this morning to hear the case
of Steve Sabo, charged with stabbing
to death his niece, Sophia Sabo.
lt was believed the Jury would be
completed by noon.
This Is Sabo's second trial, tho first
resulting in a hung jury.
Of the nearly two million members
of the German Metal Workers' Union,
about one-half are women.
Radiatorsn1"1 Fend&^l
a Specialty *
Hy Expert Mechanics^
Work Guaranteed. .llKN |
Shipments promptly attended,.,.
Oklahoma Itadiat^
and Fender Co.
U . K. SWKITZER, Mgf I
202 W. 2nd St. M. 0*. ,
or, b«
absent
tint
Committee,
a resolu-
out leaving the chair II
succeed Gray as chairman of the i-iboi
\i the next meeting of the Labor < ommitt*
tion was again introduced with slightly different ver-
biage. but carrying the same idea o
ostal
the Industrial Relations commission nearly a decade subject to the
ago in his cabled instructions to E. H. Gary. Whether conditions, >ud - n.
•onferring withi the assault is en the railway men or on the steel "The articles prohibited
1.' a f iim workers'*'"organizations for the pur-1 workers, the voice that speaks with authority comes ; regular (letter i hi;m
poL of creating adjustment boards. This was done I from the House of Morgan. I "Arms, documents injuriou i
] Altb
1 eollegf
open to
Harvard l«aw School
vard profest
instruction
i in the law school.
ICS
I make their budgets balance without
| working the paper printing press
| overtime and national industrial and
i commercial activities, disrupted by
I the war, are still in bad shape.
Will Not Survive.
! Few of their own citizens expect
I them to survive as independent states
| after normal conditions are restored
"Bulwarks Ayclinst Bolshcv-1in eastern Europe. Most predict re-
PURITY SQUAD
TAKES EIGHTEEN
ism" Keep Paper Presses
Busy for ''Money."
Three raids by the "purity squad"
netted eighteen arrests Friday
night.
The Ryan rooms on West Reno
were raided at 4:30 Friday morning,
I attachment to Russia, with a large' according to police records, and two
degree of local autonomy. Of the new \ couples were arrested.
republics, Lithuania is working the; "legal possession was the charge
best. Latvia and Estbonia. however, , filed against Oliie Met lain and L>nu
H1GA (By Mail by 1". P.)—The ; are running rapidly behind. reported arrested in the 2nd
RIGA, toy , Th ,.n,i flu.tK Jtand out Mock on North Indiana evenim.
reVenal, s^a buffers alalnst bol prominently after talks and inter- «hilo loitering charges were filed
h m ..re actuaih baung about views with a large number of Lat- against Mrs. J. M. Frost, Grace Bass
"JfT® ' In to 1 ecu "Oin aa na-1 vians of all classes. The accuracy of and J. M. Foster.
all they can do to keep s ^ l)h„ ,ta,ement in regard to tie in- Nine negroes were arrested in a
"""he miniature countries, .ach | dustrialilfe Is^attested j the 300 bloc, on
and the lack of shipping in the har- i
I It is said that of men who shave
I themselves not one in fifty can use
The United Kingdom is said to the razor with both hands.
ave more women workers in pro- 1 Teams of English and French girls
soviet republic, cocain- . morpi
I opium, hashish, and other nan
"The regulations of the sovh
ernment providi
cial permit no individual m;
ceive letter packets contain!m
of any kind which are not ioi
sonal use, nor may mor< th; i
postal packets whether lett•
parcels, contain in; -ooiis, be r
by one individual within one i
without special permit."
These limitations have Mncc
parently, been modified, but
date of Nov. 7 they were ef
Soviet Russ ia, as a member 1
International Postal Union,
ognized by the Amerh ti Po
department, and its desire ti
anti-soviet republic lit« ratur
I mailed into Russia was dul
a
miniature countrie
A-oighed down with expensivo gov- smokestacks up ;
ernmental machinery and surroiindci «
by high customs walls, have not been bor
able thus far to develop the admin-
istrative capacity to keep national,
commercial and economic life func-
tioning properly. Despite
taxes, their governments
heavy | portion to population than any other are
annot | country. I *ns
soon to meet In a javelin throw-
contest in Paris.
FRANK KNAFELS
Edmond
Makes Custom Shoes
llilllilMllllllllilllllllllllllllltlllllllllltl1tllllllHlllllll!lllllllllllfllllMlllllliilllllllll1lllllllllllllllllll <l,llll"l"l"UUII%
I have got them, too
Pathe Talking |
Machines
from S29.50
to $95.00
On terms if you |
want it.
('ome ^et my prices |
before you buy else- |
where.
Ben Whitley |
Phone Wal. 1872 |
30« West Grand
ANOTHER
Reduction In
MICHELIN
Prices
Michelin Tires were again reduced
Nov. 18. This makes the fourth
Michelin reduction this year.
Note These New Low Prices
uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiniiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'i'iiii111"!^
Kim I
Sizes
30x3'/i |
31x4
32x4'/j
ffilllllllllllllllllllllllll Hill Illllllllllllllllllll
Michelin Regular Cords cost only a little mote (and
in one ize less) than fabric tires, yet they give
about ;t third more mileage. Ask us
ire Service House
12o South Robinson
ing Shaped
liru'iilar
Fubrlo
lllbes
1 „r,N
I'asinvM
$2.70 ,
Si«.oo
$1 1.90
2.29
20.95
19.90
:u:>
19.50
22.90
:uo
27.85
26.90
4.7.- 1
33.50
9
H :
- ■
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Ameringer, Oscar & Hogan, Dan. Oklahoma Leader (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 106, Ed. 1 Friday, December 16, 1921, newspaper, December 16, 1921; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc109622/m1/3/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.