Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-20
MUCH DEPENDS
ON MEETING IN
CHICAGO TODAY
Unions Not Yet Voting To
Quit Also Will Hold
Meet

Chicago. Ill, Oct, 12,-(By The AS
sociated Prcss)-Prcparation for the
various moves thru which it is hoped
the threatened rail strike will be
avertcd were compl;t ted today and TO-
morrow peace efforts will be in full
swing.
Tonight heads Of the unions and Of
the curriers' were silently alert with
figurativcly spcaking-one eye on he
conference tomorrow between the big
five" rail unicn leaders and the rail-
road labor board, and the other on
meetings If officials OF eleven unions.
which have not yet Joined the con-
| ductors. cnginemcn. traiumen, fircmcn
| and switchmch in a strike order, for
| both sides were agreed that out of
these conferences would come the final
decision. as to whether a general walk
out Of rail employees would materializc.
In the conference with the labor
board rested the possibility of the big
five" being persuaded to cancel their
order for the walkout, while in the
meetings of the eleven unions, vino IN
actually started today was 10 be de-
cided whether these organizations.
holding the balance Of man power thru
numbering three fourths of the nearly
two million rail workers in their mon
bcrship. would join tho big five" II
they walked out October 80, as planned.
hood of Locomotive Engineers: W. G.
Lee. president OF the Brotherhood OF
Railroad Trainmen: w. 5. Carter.
president of the brotherhood of Loco
| motive Firemen, and Engine men: T.
c. Cashen. president of tho SWITCH
mems union of North America and T.,
p. Curtis. vice president OF the Ord
! of Railway Conductors. left Cleveland
tonight for Chicago to, mcctWith the
| labor board at the iattcr's request.
| l.. T.. S5oppard. president of the con
ductors oisanizau"n, also is expected
tomorrow.
While this conference was looked On
as tho most important OF tho pcsc.
moves. railroad men tonight profcssei
to see signs OF a peaceful scttI,mcn
of the difficulties IN the attitude pf
Il. NJ. Jewell, head OF tho i,6.v0o NOM
hcrs OF the six railway shop crafts
orSanizs tions and OF i. &. Smock, vice
president of the maintenance OF ways
union which numbers 100000 men. The
shop crafts executive council met today
but took no action other than to call
! In the conference committee of 100
The committee with power to call a
strike also is expected to defer action
by calling the 1000 general chairncu
for a meeting Friday when the finnl
attitude of these groups probably will
be made known.
The Maintenance OF Ways executive
|
formal meeting coming tomorrow
I cannot speak for my entire orrari-
z5tion now. but personally | will fay
VIC do not want a strike: that VIC would
never strike on the wage question un.
less forced 10. and that VIC will not
go into any walkout with the brother
hoods unless VIC have definite promises
OF corporation. which. so far. nave
not been forthcoming from thcm.'' said
j. Smock, maintenance Of ways
vice president tonight
Mr.. Jewell repeated his statements.
that he was Imposed to tho strike.
Tho labor board will 20 into con-
ference with the assurance OF full
support from every interested govern
mental department. its member said
tonight following an executive session.
one member intimatcd that he belicv-
cd the board had found a legal metbod
OF enforcing its ruling. Heretofore
tho board has maintained II had no
power to carry out it's decisions and
unions and railroads have each charg-
cd the other with violating the boards
rulings. II legally empowered to en-
force its dccrccs. the board probably
could easily avert the waikout which
Is scheduled as a protest against the
wage cut ordered by II.
The board had no announcement to
make tonight as TO its procedure to-
morrow other than to say that the
situation would he gone over thoro-
~ II was unutrStOod however inst
plan similar TO that proposed by tho
public group in Washington cailir-- for
acceptance OF tho last wage cut And
Cancellation of the strike order by the
men with tho roads Immediately re-
ducing freight rates and temporarily
postponing further wage cuts.-would
be the basis OF discussion.
Board members admitted they roa-
1izc that the board really Is fighting
for its life and that much OF its fu-
HcnnndS n. nj II. -, -
die the situation.
In. connection with the possibility
of this conference. ayerting a strike
1t was pointed out however that many
railroads have announced positively
that the public group proposal is i'm
possible In their opinion while few
warm approval of II.
In this connection, S. q. Dunn editor
of Railway Age. issued statement
tonight following a conference with
local raj, heads dcnounring the pisn
us involving complete surrender by
the roads TO tho labor unions"
Tho statement said ia Dor lesders'
opposition TO the plan was a bluff. "a
II was exactly what the unions want.
Possibility of immediate steps 10
bring about a labor board hear
the proposed 10 per cent wage cut
which the roads recently announced
they would seek was reported in rail
circles. but locally no action yet has
been taken. Informal meetings of
presidents of railroads entering Chi.
cago are being held almost daily. ho~--