New-York tribune., 1921-10-25
Chicago Conference Is
Thrown Open to Give
Hearing to Chief Suf-
ferers From Walk-Out
$4,000 Signalmen
Refuse to Go Out
Roads Assert Failure of
Texas Curtain Raiser
Dooms Revolt to Defeat
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

CHICAGO, Oct. "a. The Railroad
Labor Board is inviting the public. for
'he hrst time, to assist in preventing
nationwide railroad strike next Sum
day by joining in Wednesdays con-
terence here between 1,400 leaders of
the unions and heads of the railroads.
ohclals of the board said there was
great reason to hope" that the strike
would be averted, but that any plan
for adjustment of remaining differ
cnccs between the roads and their en-
ployees would have to come from either
the executives or the workers. The
board would not seek to impose a set
tlement, they said.
AT Wednesdays conference every
representative of both sides is expected
to make his position plain. The Labor
Board has engaged the Coliseum Annex.
unions will be allotted 1,4O0 seats and
the remainder. will be thrown open to
the public. This is the first time the
public, which pays all the bills and en-
dures all the discomforts of a strike,
has had the opportunity to sit in. 1t
is believed the conference will last until
next Sunday, the date set by the
brotherhoods for their general strike
Union Chairmen Included
Four hundred general chairmen of
the unions have been summoned to
attend, and these invitations are prac-
tlcally mandatory. These men occupy
positions of influence and power in
this situation, which makes their pres
ence absolutely necessary. Rail ex-
ecutives are also expected to attend,
passing the buck" to absentees on
either side.
Additional complications for the
brotherhoods arose to-day when the
1900 members Of the signal mems
union refused to join in the strike.
They will 1emain at their posts, but
will refuse to be shifted to any other
duty to fill vacancies left by strikers.
This cuts the number of men author
lzed to strike to 475,000.
Officers of the railroad telegraphers
union denied rumors that they were
near a break with the brotherhoods.
President Manion said some locals in
his organization might continue to
work, but he believed the large ma
Jority of the telegraphers would walk
out with the brothcrhoods. This
would seriously interfere with the
movement of trains, even though the
rail executives were able to man all the
trains.
1t was learned that the brotherhoods
and the switchmen's union have re-
peated their warning to the Labor
Board that only a Satisfactory settle
ment" can prevent the strike.
Texas Strike Barometer
Rail officials say the strike has been
broken before it starts. Thep point
to the situation on the International
and Great Northern, on which the
trainmen struck last Saturday. Pas
senger trains are operating as usual
and freight service rapidly is being
restored to normal. No effort to pre-
vent the operation of trains is being
made by the union.
Conditions on the Texas road are
looked upon as barometer, indicating
what would happen on the larger roads
If the big Five" persist in going ahead
with the strike. Dispatches from
Houston say the officials of the Inter
national and Great Northern have re-
ceived enough applications from men
who desire to work to fill every posi-
tion on the line several times over.
Executives of roads entering Chicago
CO-uay puDllSned advertisements Tor
men to fill all positions that will be
made vacant in the event the strike
goes ahead. 1t is said they have re-
ceived flood of answers and will ex-
perience no difficulty in finding enough
men and long waiting list.
Hope for Runaway" Strikes
Dispatches from Cleveland say re-
ports are current there that the broth
erhoods are rinning hope for trans
portation tie-up on the chance of "run-
away" strikes by the army Of workers
constituting the ten small unions whose
officers have decreed that they will not
join the walk-out.
1t is borne in mind that virtually all
the unions voted overwhelmingly in
favor of strike, but their officers vetoed
the vote, as they are empowered to do.
Presumably the brotherhoods are count
ing upon this heavy vote as an indica-
Continued on page three)