The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-16
FEDERAL AGENCIES
 JOIN FORCES ID
 STAY RAIL STRIKE
Public Group of Labor Board and l. C. c. Summoned By Harding to Washington
 Conference
By Associated Press

Washington, October 15.-The public group of the railroad labor board and the full membership of the interstate commerce commission by personal direction of President Harding, joined forces today in an effort to avert the threatened serious railroad labor complications.
 Summoned to Washington by the President, the three members repre- senting the public on the railroad labor board. were escorted by MT. Harding himself to a conference with members of the interstate com merce commission, which was unfin- ished at the end of the day, and left open to resumption Monday.
 silence was maintained by all parties to the conference, even m the face of the strike call issued late in the day at Chicago, but the pur- pose of tho meeting was said in 8 White House announcement to be consideration of the possibility of an early adjustment of railroad rates and wages"
 Anomalous Situation
 The President has been impressed that a somewhat anomalous situation surrounds the relations of the inter state commerce commission and the railway labor board" the statemen. added. "The commission has very large powers through its control oi rates, to determine what the reve- nues of the roads should be, while the railway labor board, through its authority in the matter of wage de- terminatio has very large power In determining the largest item of rail- way expenditures. The President was, therefore, impressed with tho desirability of getting these two highly potential bodies together and reaching something like q definite understanding between them"
 The statement further explained that Chairman Barton of the labor board; C. Wallace W. Hanger and Ben w Hooper. the two other pub He members, alone were called in be- cause the labor and railroad mem bers were, Fin the nature of things partisan"
 Chairman McChord and the full h. tSTSLdLe COINHtFCc CoIhfulSSlOH fc- ceived President Harding with tho board members, and participated 1T a morning session after the Presi- dent had departed. The chairman and Commissioners Esch, Parker Lewis ana Eastman resumed the con ference with the hoard group in the afternoon and will meet with them again Monday
 Heard strike Talk For Year
 At the conclusion of today's con ference Mir Hooper remarked that We've been hearing that railroad strike talk now for a year and . half and nobody has seen the strike
 While the labor board members were In conference with the Presi- dent, William II. Johnston, president of the International Association oi Machinists, issued statement ir which he declared that if the train men and other operating employees go out on october 30, the machinists and the railroad employees in group two which includes all the shop crafts will go with them at the same time This would result, he declared. Tn tho greatest railroad tie-up in his tory"
 Mir. Johnston added that he had Inc doubt but that group three, which in- cludes the maintenance of way clerks and other unions, will also go with the transportation and shopcrafts."
 Mir, Johnston returned from Chi cago yesterday, where he met with the representatives of the l6 railway unions