Evening star., 1921-10-18
OFFICIALS EXPECT: !. .
{
AvER7|NG OF STRIKE.
Believe Union Chiefs Are Not
Eager and Railroads Can
not Be Arbitrary.
ny DAVID LAWRENCE.

Prevailing opinion today among
members of the cabinet and others
in touch with the railroad situation
is that there will be no strike.
This is based mostly on 4 knowi-
edge that the labor leaders them
selves are not eager co- test of
strength and that the railroad eXecu-
tivcs cannot afford to take an arbi-
trary attitude toward any compromise
Solutian that may be proposed.
Many a compromise is being con
sidered The chances are that the
calling of the strike as protest
against Il second wage cut VIII lose
its main justification when pro-
poSal is made that the interstate
Commerce Commission and Railroad
Labor Hoard he given an opportunity
to work out program whereby re-
auctions in wages shall he passed.
on to the consumer through cheaper
freight rates.
FIRST Cut Passed by.
As it is now. the labor leaders
claim the first cut iii wages OF last
July wasn't passed on. The railroadS
claim the wage cut wasn't brig enough
to warrant drop in rates. The
strike has been called mostly to pre-
vent a second cut. The request for q
is largely the strategy of the railroad
executives in wishing to make sure
the acceptance of the first cut
Shippers organizations seem to be
placing as much blame on the United
States Railroad Labor Board as on
either of the parties to the contro-
Vcrsy for the failure of the railroads
To reduce rates. The Railroad Labor
Board. on the other hand, claims it
hasn't been able to operate single
handed. since il could not know how
far wages could be reduced. because
there was no way of knowing how
far the Interstate Commerce COM
mission thought il wise to go in re-
ducinE rates. The Labor Board has
heen handling wages. the Interstate
Commerce Commission has been nan
ding rates President Harding has
wisely brought the two agencies to-
gether. They have practically adopt
ID Il program which Will be offered as
the combined judgment of the two in
s.rumcntalitieS which deal with
American railroads.
Plenty of Chances to Yield.
There are plenty of technicalities.
plenty OF chances for give and take in
The negotiations tp permit of with
draw;tl Of the strike order. or at least
its indefinite suspension. while the whole
controversy is further examined. This
seems the most likely outcome of the
meeting in Chicago of the Railroad La
I,or Board and the brotherhood chiefs.
The latest threat to strike is not the
result of any longdrawn-out negotia-
ton in which both sides have" exhausted
their argumentative resources. 1t is as
much the result of an old-fashioned cali
ing of Il 'bluff' as anything else. The
labor leaders called on the executives
to protest against the first wage cut.
Tho. executives replied with an an
rounCement that they intended to re-
quest IA second cut. The labor leaders
said they would have to call strike.
and the executives. in effect. said Go
ahead.
The labor leaders were compelled to
go ahead or lose moral strength in a
negotiation. If pushed to the limit,
they will go through with the tie-up.
but nobody here believes the govern
ment will allow the two parties to the
dispute to Goad each other into a
test Of power at the expense "f the
public.
New Proposals Expected.
New proposals of settlement are
fully expected. therefore. from the
United States Railroad Labor Board
which will permit each side to re-
cede gracefully, while d program of
wage cuts on the one hand and freight
rate reductions on the other are work
ed out. Meanwhile Attorney General
Ddugherty is making no rash state
ments about the use Of the injunction.
and President Harding is keeping
srrupulously silent. Nothing is be-
ing done by the administration to ag-
sravate the situation. For the next
few days the usefulness of the United
States Railroad Board as an agency
for settling railway disputes hangs
in the balance. If it fails Congress
will have effect another remedy
But the disposition here is to give the
board further opportunity to compel
respect for its decisions
inI,t