The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-19
u. S. LABOR BOARD


!
number of important rate reduction
cases on hand. on which it will act i'm
mediately. That will give us some
thing to, work on
To Ask Cancellation of Strike Order.
The boards policy. as outlined by
| Commissioner Hooper, would propose
to the brotherhood chiefs immediate
| suspension of the strike order on their
part, and their influence in prevent
! ing other walkouts while the execu-
| tives would be asked to concede the
withdrawal of the proposed request
for further wage cuts and grant an
| Immediate reduction of freight rates.
President ]. R. Toward of the farm
bureau federation today had on file
| before the interstate commerce : m
mission here a petition for a 10 to 20
per cent freight rate reduction on
| necessities of life and at the same
time he telegra phed union leaders and
railroad executive urging them to Join
| him in a conference here.
Failure of the brotherhood chiefs to
join strike agreement at conferences
| here last week with the eleven other
railroad unions has made uncertain
the outcome of their strike confer
enccs here, beginning today.
Shopmen To Meet Today.
Referendum votes have authorized
the leaders of the maintenance of way
| and shopmen, who meet here today
and tomorrow, to call strike at their
! discretion, but shop crafts leaders
have summoned their executive coun-
/ Gil and executives of the maintenance
| of way union have called general
chairmen of their twelve divisions
/ Membership of these two and others
Of the eleven organizations which
| have not issued strike notices number
$500, 900, as compared with half
million in the train service group now
under instructions for sectional walk
outs, beginning October 81.
Officials of the telegraphers have
scheduledSa meeting here Friday : nd
the clerks Sunday. No definite deci-
| indicated, will be made before the end
of the week.
Prospects Are Brighter.
While prospects for settlement of
| the strike were growing brighter
army officials, it is understood, were
making preparations for operating
trains by federal troops.
Dispatches from San Antonio said
officers of the eighth corps area in
the southwest, had been instructed to
compile and forward to Washington
| lists of all officers and enlisted men
| with experience in the twenty-six lines
of railroad work Southwestern roads
| largely comprise the group under in
structions to walk out the first day of
the strike and i is understood that it
was because the preponderance of
votes favOring strike by the brother
| hoods came from that section. Senti-
ment among employees of eastern
roads. it is understood, was much
more evenly divided on the strike
question so much so that the proposed
strike on the Pennsylvania and the
Erie was deferred from the first day
until the fourth because of doubt
among union leaders as to the
| raSDOnSe of the men to the Strik q
| order
In the event the threatened rail-
road strike is called the roads are
prepared to do our utmost to move
necessities, utilizing to the fullest pos
sible extent all the man power avail
able" Charles H. Markham, president
of the Illinois Central railroad, de-
| clared today in an address before the
American mining congress. - - -
Ask Repeal of Esch- Cunanins Law
The American farm bureau fedora
| tio1s with a membership of 1,300s000
| farmers, announced today it had de-
cided to ask congress Immediately for
! repeal of the Esch-Cummins law and
| the Adamson act.
These were wartime measures and
they are preventing a speedy return
to normal conditions" said J. r. How
ard, president. 1.-The American farm
| bureau federation>~belie the Cum
mins-Esch act should either be re-
pealed in it's entirety cor at once
amended to correct it's serious defects"
| its president declared.