The New York herald., 1921-10-19
EXECUTIVES READY
TOCOMBAT STRIKE
Series of Conferences Will BE
Held Here, Beginning Prob
ably Thursday.
UNION LEADERS MEET
Chairmen Of Five Big. Brother
hoods in East Prepare to
Execute Mandate.

The first big conference of railroad
executives and their principal assist
ants in this operating district. New
Jersey lines mainly, will be held in
this city this week. according to gen.
eral opinion in railroad Offices yester-
day. Plans for a series Of conferences
were under consideration yesterday
Thursday was understood to have been
tie cay set tentatively by the railroad
chiefs.
Methods of combating the strike. if
called, will be discussed by the prin-
cipal executives of the East. and these
plans will be threshed out and consid-
cred for application at a second series
OF conferences within the operating
organizations OF the several lines. The
first conference will include the rail-
road presidents, chairmen of boards
and bankers interested. The second
will take in general managers, divi-
sion superintendents, yardmasters,
trainmasters. roundhouse supcrin-
tendents, master mechanics and 9TH
ers concerned with the practical opera
tion Of trains.
While railroad executives were getting
together to arrange for war policies the
railroad unions generally in New York
and New Jersey met in executive session
and worked out plans to follow in case
the strike order comes.
Union Chiefs Meet in Secret.
A prominent union general chairman
made this statement to TIE NEW YORK
HERALD:
Preparations for the railroad strike
in the New York district were made to-
day at secret meetings of local and
general chairmen Of the five big rail-
road brotherhoods at railroad centres
throughout the State and in nearby Jer-
sey terminals. The conferences were
called by general charmen just returned
from Chicago. All OF the delegates to
the Chicago meeting were astonished at
the tremendous majority given for the
strike proposal. The great vote cast by
the old men In the railroad service was
one of the biggest surprises.
'The men everywhere are saying that
around by the nose long enough and the
strike vote was an order to the pussy
footing Grand Lodge officials to go
ahead and fight for satisfactory settle
ment of the wage cut issue--fght or
get out. The men arr sore and If any
attempt Is made by the leaders to double
cross them the leaders will be thrown
out and settlement will be effected with
out leadership" s.&.
Advertising for Railroad Men,
There were further indications that
railroad executives In this district were
counting upon hundreds Of veteran and
competent railroad men now out of en-
ployment for assistance IL the strike hits
the roads Newspapers published along
the lines OF the Central Railroad of New
Jersey carried advertisements yesterday
which announced that permanent POSI-
tons were guaranteed to successful ap-
plicants for employment as locomotive
engineers, firemen. conductors, trainmen
and yardmen to ''flll vacancies as they
occur" or vacancies caused by such men
as may leave the service"
At the same time A. u. Stahl, for
merly foreman of the car shops of the
Jersey Central in Elizabeth, and who
has been district leader I'm the so-called
hundred men along the lines OF the Jer-
sey Central would return to railroad
employment at the first opportunity.
IL know of 200 men in Elisabeth and
OF several times that many at other
points who are anxious to get their Jobs
back" Stahl said. III they could get
square with the brotherhoods for throw
ing them down last year they would be
perfectly satisfied. The brotherhoods
wouldn't lift > finger TO help these men.
and why should they in turn stay idle
Just to play the game OF the brother
hoods?'
Crews OF the Hudson and Manhattan
tube trains are not expected to join the
strikers. although the company is sub
sidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The tube employees are working und sr
separate agreement which has two
years to run.