The New York herald., 1921-10-20
RAIL PRESIDENTS
TO CONFER TO-DAY
Heads of Eastern Roads Will
Adopt General Policy in
Event of Strike.

Railroad managers. freight shippers.
the travelling public and suburban mu-
nicipal authorities were completing yes
terday plans for maintaining transporta-
ton service IL the threatened walkout
OF train service employees actually
comes.
The general policy to be followed by
the railroads will engage the attention
of the Eastern Presidents Conference,
which is composed of the chief executive
officers of all the trunk lines entering
New York, at a meeting to be held at
the Bankers Club at / o'clock to-day.
The closer details of keeping freight and
passenger trains in operation will be
taken up at a meeting of the General
Managers Association this morning at
10 Church st.
That shippers were bestirring them
selves in anticipation of tieup was
evident in the sharp upturn in the vol
ume of freight offered TO the carriers.
Practically all the roads Of the New
York and Philadelphia districts reported
an acceleration of traffic in a wide range
OF commodities. This was particularly
true of shipments Of grain for export
from Buffalo and the head OF the lakes
to New York, Philadelphia. Baltimore
and other seaboard points. The conges-
| ton OF export grain at Philadelphia was
| such that il continued it will soon be
necessary to establish the permit sys-
| tenn to insure the availability Of bottoms
, to receive the grain before the railroads
will accept the tonnage at the original
point of shipment. Aside from this one
case, however. no congestion or hint Of
! shortage in equipment has been re-
ported.
! Yesterday the railroad managers
were preparing advertisements guaran-
tee,ng permanent positions to men who
! can serve in the emergency as en-
gineers, firemen, trainmcn, conductors
| and yardmen. These will appear in the
newspapers OF industrial centres from
which the arrangements are wont to
draw much of their labor supply. That
| large numbers OF the men laid off by
! the roads In recent months, and OF those
who failed of reinstatement after the
! outlaw strike OF April, 1920. were
available for the positions, was borne
| out by the large response received to
advertisements placed on the previous
| day by the Central Railroad Company
| of New Jersey.
The Erie Railroad took the lead yes-
terday in addressing a general appeal
| to the public for active cooperation in
maintaining full passenger service. A
statement issued by J. j. Mantell. it's
general manager. said that this could
be accomplished by volunteered service
| of patrons for engine and train service.
He asked that applications giving full
details of experience be sent to Room
12, Erie Railroad Station, Jersey City
Plans for transporting a part OF the
army of New York commuters from
New Jersey and Westchester county in
jitneys and buses. in the event of a
strike. began to take form in Newark
and White Plains. the respective points
in New Jersey and Westchester county
from which start the peak loads of
New York bound local traffic
In New Jersey the plan will be to
divert many of the jtney lines into a
main channel from Newark to Jersey
City. where the ferries and tubes will
be available. The White Plains COM
muters will be carried in large buses
to point where connections can be
made with direct subway trains fol-
| downtown Manhattan.