The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-10-26
Federal Labor Board
and Brotherhood
Chiefs. Fail to Find
Basis Of Agreement


results were obtained"
There has been a full and
frank discussion of the SITUATION y
said a statement given out by Ben
w. Hooper, vice chairman of the
board. 1.-The labor board and the
Brotherhood chiefs exchanged
views in perfectly pleasant way.
The interview was beneficial, but
we can not say that any definite
results were Obtained
Union leaders said the board had
not presented anything which they
looked on as in any way. tangible
proposition.
TT IS somebody's move next, :"
said the head Of one of the larger
OF the Eve organizations. ''Wheth-
er it is ours, the boards or The
roads, I don't know. I only know
that the board brought US here
and talked four hours without pre-
senting anything which we could
even consider as compromise.
The meeting was absolutely with
out results. We are going back to
our headquarters. There is nothing
scheduled Immediately except to
go rignt ahead with the plans for
a strike - &
The Eve union presidents depart
ed for their organization headquar-
ters tonight with the announce
ment that plans for the proposed
strike would go right ahead
.sThs adjournment is final"
Chairman r. NJ. Barton of the la
Dor board announced. I'VE do not
plan any further conferences with
the labor 1eaGers nor do we plan,
at present, to cau III the railroad
presidents. can not say what
our next step. might be-
- While the board members came
out of the afternoon session smil-
ing and in a joviai mood, they left
the night meeting with solemn
faces and refused to publicly dis
cuss the session-aside from the
statements by Chairman Barton and
Vice Chairman Hooper.
Union heads, expressing hope
that the night session would be
more productive than was the af-
ternoon meeting, booked reserva-
tons on a midnight train for Cleve-
land, but refused to say whether
this should be LOCKED On as ia
vorable Or adverse to a settlement
OF the railroad crisis through the
10 1ohor,hoorI norforoncoc
The situation is just as much Of
a guess now as it was when we
went in there" one union presi-
dent said after leaving the after
noon meeting, while labor board
member remarked that everyone
is smiling and no one seems down
cast
The afternoon meeting was start
ed with the labor board, which
called the conference presenting
: its plans for settlement of the diff
hculties. These were understood to
be based on the public group an
nouncement in Washington recent
" that the strike could be averted
if the roads reduced rates, tenn
porarily postponed attempts at
further wage cuts and the unions
accepted the recent II per scent.
cut authorized by the board,
The union presidents in the con-
ference-W. G. Lee of the train
men; w. S. Carter Of the firemen;
L. E. Sheppard Of the conductors;
Warren S. Stone of the engineers;
T. C. Cashen of the switchmen-
we're said 20 have told the board
that the unions "were fighting for
their lives" and that any settlement
would have to be one which would
do away with what they termed
the prevalent impression among
the men that they were being
gypped.
They found nothing in the labor
boards proposal, it was said, which
would warrant cancellation OF the
strike order and were quoted as
frankly telling the board that the
strike could not be postponed"
and that only settlement would
keep itsfrom taking place as sched-
uled.
The board, after two and
haS hours discussion, requested
that the conference be adjourned
until p. m. and Immediately dis
patched a series Of telegrams TO
Washington outlining the discus
sion.
6. W. Hanger. Of the board, in
timated after the days meeting
that the conferences would run
through tomorrow but the action
of the union chiefs in making train
reservations seemed to preclude
this.
One union president, after con-
ference of the FIVE chiefs which
followed the labor board meeting,
declared that two lives are at
stake in the present conferences.
'AThe labor board, according to
reports in Washington, is fighting
for it's life and it's future depends
on it's ability to settle this matter"
he said. 80 are we fighting for
our lives and the future of rail
road labor depends on our ability
10 protect our employees in this
situation.
No formal statements were is
sued by either side following the