The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-10-19
THREE GROUPS
ARE HOLDING
MT CONFERENCES
Freight Rate Reductions
Equivalent to II Per
Cent Wage Reduction
Ordered July | Will
Probably Be Basic Sug-
gestion to End the Trou-
BILE

Chicago, Oct. 10 lBy the Associated
Press The first Of series OF con
ferences.in Chicago at which represen
tatives of all factions in the railroad
strike situation may decide the out
come of the strike call issued by the
Big -Four Brotherhoods for Oct. 80, be
gan here to-day, continue over the
week end.
Three group meetings are scheduled
tl) Executives of the shopmen, main
tenanee of way workers, clerks, teleg-
raphers and others, meet to-day, to-
morrow, Friday and Sunday to decide
their attitude toward the announced
strike of the train service employees,
with indications of final decision at a
Joint conference Sunday.
(2) Brotherhood leaders are on their
way here to hear the governments at
titude through the railroad labor board
tomorrow
(3) Railroad executives of the cen
trail division meet Friday in Chicago To
discuss all phases of the strike situa
tion, while executives of other divis
ions meet simultaneously in their own
regions.
mately equivalent to the II per cent
wage reduction in wages ordered last
July by the railroad labor board were
indicated as the probable basic sugges
tion the labor board will propose, with
the backing of the administration to
avert the strike.
81 understand said Commissioner
Ben w. Hooper, member of the spub-
lie" group of the labor board, that the
interstate commerce commission has a
number of important rate reduction
Acases on hand, on which it will act i'm
mediately. That viii give us something
to work on"
The boards policy, as outlined by
Commissioner Hooper, would propose
TO the brotherhood chiefs immediate
suspension Of the strike order on their
parts and their influence in preventing
other walkouts, while the executives
would be asked to concede the with
drawal of the proposed request for fur
ther wage cuts and grant an immedi- |
ate reduction of freight rates.
President j. r Howard of the Farm
Bureau federation to-day had on file |
before the interstate commerce com
mission here a petition for a 10 to 20
per cent freight rate reduction on ne
cessities of life, and at the same time |;
be telegraphed union leaders and rail-
road executives urging them TO Join
him in a conference here.
Failure of the brotherhood chiefs to |
Join a strike agreement with the ii
other railroad unions at a conference
here last week, has made uncertain the |
outcome OF their strike conferences
here beginning to-day.
Referendum votes have authorized
the leaders of the maintenance of way
men and shopmen, who meet here TO-
nt their discretion, but shop crafts
leaders have summoned their executive
council and executives of the main
tenance of way union have called
general chsirmen of their twelve
divisions. Membership Of these two
and others of the ii organizations
which have not issued strike notices
number 10000 as compared with half
4 million in the group now under in
structions for sectional walkouts be-
ginning Oct. 30.
Officials of the telegraphers have
scheduled meeting here Friday and
the clerks. Sunday. No definite decision,
leaders of these IL unions indicated,
will, be made before the end Of -,
week
whre prospects for settlement of the
s.rike were growing brighter, army Of
fcisls, it is understood. were making ,
preparations for operating trains by
FEDERAL troops