The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-04
RAIL UNIONS REJECT
7DAY TRUCE OFFER
Continued from First Page.

tween the Government and the National
Union Of Railway Men failed.
The Governments proposal for a
return to work and permit resumption of
negotiations on the disputed points,
coupled with the offer by the Govern
ment to resort to arbitration in the event
OF failure to reach an agreement, has
been rejected by the railway mems
union and the whole possibility OF
mediation for the moment seems to have
collapsed completely.
The executive body of the National
Union of Railway Men has disbanded
for the purpose OF engaging In campaign
meetings throughout the country.
congress, embracing all the trade
called to convene Tuesday to discuss the
situation.
The Premier in the course of O con-
ference to-day made On impassioned APP
peal to the railway men to accept the
offer of arbitration, and It is reported
that some delegates of the transport
workers were in favor of accepting the
offer.
Robert Williams, general secretary of
The transport workers union, In a state
n1ent to the press tonight referred to
the breakdown in negotiations to-day as
"lamentable," announcing that the con-
grsss of trade unions had been con-
vened to engage In any form of moral
and sympa thetic support of the railway
men in the struggle they are waging
for trades unionism."
iNo Formulate Proposals.
In the meantime. Mr.. Williams added,
the delegates who had been consulting
with Premier Lloyd George from day to
day would be made officers of the Trans
port Workers Federation to formulate
proposals they were convinced would
prove acceptable to the entire trades
union movement of the kingdom.
In addition to the delegates of the
Transport Workers Federation who in
clude Arthur Henderson, the labor lead
err. and John R Clynes. the laborite, Mr..
Williams asserted, these new officers
would include Frank Hodges, G.. H. Stu
art Burning, secretary of the Postmens
Federation. and Charles w. Bowerman.
secretary of the Trades Union Congress-
The View taken in Government circles
tonight is that the position is ex-
tremely grave, and all necessary steps
are being taken by the Government to
meet the new situation.
On leaving the conference in Downing
street all the delegates were grave and
appeared to believe there was little posi-
bility of n further conference with the
Government President Cramp of the
National Union of Railwaymen ex-
pressed tho conviction that the railway
menwould have absolutely rejected the
Government offer.
Frank Hodges, of the miners union
said tonight that the railroad strike had
brought about the unemployment tot more
than half a million miners.
The actual situation on the railroads
showed a further great improvement to-
day. all OF London's underground rail-
ways working. The food supply service,
although somewhat restricted, continued
good.
The following statement was issued al
the Premier's office in Downing street
this evening:
A series of meetings with the Prime
Minister and Mr.. Bonar Law, which
commenced Wednesday last at the in
stance of a deputation of trades
unionists. headed by Mr.. Gosling
(president of the Transport Workers
Union). came to an end this after
noon.