Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-07-20
RAIL LABOR BOARD
 TO ANNOUNCE ITS WAGE AWARD TODAY
50 to 60. Per Cent of Amount
 Asked to be Grant
GENERAL STRIKE IS
 LIKELY, SAY LEADERS
Pessimism Prevails as Union Chiefs Await Meeting at Which They Will Hear the Decision of
 Board

l Chicago, July 19.-The railway la- bor board, created under the Esch iCummins transportation act, will hand down tomorrow it's first award Increasing the pay of virtually all tho two million railroad employees of tht country.
 l Tonight's reports from reliable quarters indicated the award would average from 50 to 60 per cent of tho amount asked by the men, or be- tween s50O,O00,O00 and $600,000,O0( of the billion dollar total they sought Judge R. M. Barton, chairman o1 the board, admitted "that is not fal off," when shown the report. The board decided today to announce its decision at 8:3O o'clock tomorrow instead of ten a. m. as first planned. Whether an award on the basis re- ported would be acceptable to the men no union officer tonight was prepared to say. Nearly 1 .000 broth erhood chairmen and executives held an all day session to discuss union affairs and adjourned until tomorrow report.
 A feeling of pessimism was evident, when the union leaders met, and privately they did not hesitate to de- clare that general strike was a possibility. Tonight, however, it was virtually certain that the union chiefs themselves would not call strike but would submit the question of ac- cepting or rejecting the boards award to a referendum.
 The labor board began an investi gation today of the footing of it's of fices last night, when some one broke in and stole, among other things, a copy of the award. Two copies had been prepared, one for the boards files and the other for the printer. It was the former which was stolen.
 The printed decision covers twenty pages, making about six thousand words in all.
 While an air of doubt hung over the railroad situation here, it was announced from Philadelphia that the Pennsylvania railroad planned ten per cent reduction in it's work ing force this week. The roads an- nouncement said that in the eastern region alone between Il 900 and 12,- 900 workers would be laid off.
 J. D. Rodgers, vice resident of the northwestern region of the railroads at Chicago said that the reduction ap- piled only to the eastern region, but that reduction in this territory was under consideration. He said, how ever, that the percentage to be laid off and the date when the order would be effective had not been de- cided.
 From the office of the southwest ern region of the railroads in St. Louis it was learned that no reduc- tion in working forces was contem- plated.
 Reports from Chicago that the rail- road organization probably would re- ject the proposed award af6ected Wall streAt, active transpF Citation shares averaging one point decline.
 The most closely watched confer ence of rail leaders today was that of the "big five" group, comprising the brotherhoods of railway engineers firemen, conductors, trainmen and switchmen. Representatives of the six federated shop crafts, including the blacksmiths, boiler makers, car penters and electricians also were ill sessions, while leaders of the main. tenance employAs, clerks, freight handlers and laborers, met in several conferences.
 There is nothing to be said yet" caid Warren s. Stone, Grand chief of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Enginemen. "We are here to re- ceive the awards of the railroad wage board tomorrow. None of us know what the award will be. We are talk ing things over today"
 Immediately upon the announcement of the award tomorrow the grand council of the brotherhoods will be called. It will be the first session in more than year. Sixteen groups of rail workers will be represented. They will act upon the award, section by section. How long the session will last is problematical, leaders said.
 At the general meeting of union heads today, at which Peter Kilduff chairman of the engineers union on the Rock Island system was elected chairman, credentials of all union representatives were carefully exam ined before they were allowed to pass through closely guarded door. Se- crecy shrouded the meetings, and newspaper men were not permitted. . While the recognized brotherhood chiefs were in session, another group representing the new rail unions which were organized at the time of the rail strike in April, met under the leadrship of John Grunau, president of the Chicago Yardmen's association. to formulate plans of their own. They have asked that their seniority rights be restored, but the board refused to hear their representatives several weeks ago. and it was understood that the wards would not touch on their status.