The New York herald., 1921-10-18
MEN SEE SOLUTION
IN FEDERAL ACTION
Government Control Looked
on as Most Effective for
Real Settlement.
WORKING RULES STAKED
Rail Executives Insist on Tie
up to Oyerturn Labor Vic
tories, Say Leaders.
WORKING RULES STAKED

Special Despatch TO TIE New YORK HERALD
CLEVELAND, Oct. 1.-THE railroad
executives can settle the dispute or
the United States Government can
prevent a strike said Warren S.
Stone. grand chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers. tonight
when asked If there was any way Of
averting the catastrophe Of a national
transportation tieup.
Taking over the railroads, for that
must come eventually" was indicated
by Mr.. Stone as the most effective
way" in which the Administration can
avert the strike scheduled for Octo-
ber 30.
Mr.. Stone emphasized belief general
among railroad union men that the
railroads want strike" and that a
further reduction in wages is much
less important to the railroad eXecu-
tives than the quashing of rules and
regulations won by employees in vari-
Gus ways as the result of years of
organized effort.
"If it had been a question of wage
reductions only there would have been
no strike" Mr.. Stone asserted. II
have from seventy-fve to a hundred
letters giving instances Of attempts
by different railroads to break down
the working rules that have been Sc
cured by arbitration. by decisions OF
the United States Railroad Labor
Board and In other ways"
The contemplated conference Of heads
of the five train service organizations in
Cleveland will not be held before to-
morrow. l.. u. Sheppard. president Of
the Order Of Railway Conductors. and
T. G.. Cashen. president OF the Switch
mems Union Of North America. expected
here to-day. win not arrive In Cleveland
before morning.
Edward p. Curtis. vlce-president of the
conductors organization, arrived In
Cleveland this afternoon and inme-
diately conferred with William G. Lee.
PRESIDENT of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen Mr.. Curtis expects to leave
AS soon as Sheppard is here to take his
place.
"Ncxt Move Not Theirs.'
None OF the transportation chiefs
whose national headquarters is in Cleve-
land attaches any significance to the
conference of The Big Five" On the
contrary Stone and Lee to-day agreed
that the next move must come either
from the railroad executives or from the
Government.
"Our orders giving the men permis-
sion to quit work on October 36--we
never order a strike-are out and we are
merely marking time until something
develops from the other SIDE" Stone
said.
Both Lee and Stone talked Of the pos
sibility Of the Government attempting to
run mail trains following publication of
a statement by Postmaster Hays that
the mails will be moved.
An undercurrent OF optimism vas
seen in some influential railroad organi-
cation circles. There Is strong hope
that at the eleventh hour basis OF
settlement will be suggested from
washington and the feeling exists that
political psychology" Is being carefully
weighed in Administration quarters.
People In Washington recall the
great outcry against MIR. Wilson's In
reference when he stepped into the rail-
road situation, and the politicians are
studying the possible reaction before
they take a definite hand I'm the pres
ent situa tion." said one prominent or
ganization official "A big enough man
can settle the dispute even now. But II
requires some courage and firm hand
ling Of the situation without regard to
the desires of the railroad executives or
political capital"
In addition TO the lines mentioned spe-
clhcally In the four groups and which
include all lines running into Cleveland.
with the exception of the Pennsylvania
Railroad. union officials pointed out
that there arc several hundred short
lines not affected directly by the strike
orders.
These short lines. which are OF the
Cleveland Belt Line and Nevburg and
South Shore type. were not generally
affected by what is known as Railroad
La Dor Board decision No. ., granting 10
railroad men their chief war time wage
increases. Most of these lines are MAX
ing their own arrangements with their
employees irrespective of any rulings OF
the Railroad Labor Board.