The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-27

~% os O soO tOiiikHI Wneu btiS 1lN Ike an announcement to their mel
 Union leaders said tonight the f seting tomorrow had been called at
 e suggestion of Ben ". Hooper, vice
 airman of the board, and that they
 lected him to personally present M Il proposition from the board. Mir. 1. ooper refused to confirm or deny l iis Judge R. M. Barton. chairman of he board. said that It's decision on oday's hearing might be rendered to-
 orrow and certainly would be forth
 ming by the next day.
 Each of the presidents of the five
 ansportation group unions. said. However, that the prospects for set ement certainly were no better 1an they were this morning, while
 went farther, declaring that the
 'uds were darker than ever"
 It was understood that the board
 ,uld make the following proposal
 the unions tomorrow:
 That the unions suspend or
 call off the strike ordered for
 next Sundny. based on the wage
 cut made last July pending de-
 cIsions by the board on further
 wage cuts or any revision of rules
 which the employees fear the
 F0808 WILL 0Nk. The rOa&& naVt
 already announced theIr intention
 of seeking a 10 per cent wage
 cut for the train service men in
 addition to the IF per cent slash
 of last July. Many roads have in-
 dicnted 6 desire to abrogate time
 and a half for overtime also.
 Throughout the hearing today the nion leaders insisted fear of changes rules and fear of further wage re- actions had influenced their men In 5ting to strike The board is un- ,rstood to be prepared to urge that
 Is fear of something that may hap ,fl in the future is not sufficient grounds for a strike and the men cannot lose anything by waiting for those decisions to be rendered.
 The unexpected ending of the boards hearing after little more than an hour had been devoted to taking testimony of the railroads side fol lowed series of whispered conferences among the union leaders. ". G. Lee, president of the train men, asked permission to make an an- nouncement to his general chairmen, 50 of whom were present. He called \ em to meet here at o'clock tomor- H H9s Warren S. Stone of the en- n aers, L. E. Sheppard of the con
 sors, w. s. Carter of the firemen l T T. c. Cashen of the switchInen l f.de similar announcements and fter brief statement from Judge .2 M Barton, chairman of the labor hoard. to tho effect that the boards decision as to whether the urionz had iolated the July l wage cut order ould be handed either tomorrow or day, the meeting was adjourned.
 Whether the proposal which the oard is expected to make can prevent
 d question no union official would | ale comment on.
 SATISFACTORY END
 ! JUST BE SETTLEMENT
 Chicago, october 2s.-Executives of I the big four brotherhoods and the Swstchmen's Union of North America, q fter a day of verbal jockeying with ] fhe United States railroad labor board. | declared late today that no power on barth save satisfactory settlement" {-, prevent their men walking out, \ inning next Sunday morning at
 ock.
 heir declaration came at the close Al day of fruitless questioning. | en Judge E. NJ. Barton. chairman | he labor board. called each union | sident in turn and asked him four
 pared questions, the third of which
 f the board shall declare strike ! II not Justified and should not oc-
 and direct that the employees not |
 e, will that order be obeyed?", The union chiefs. Warren g. one of the engineerst w, c.
 ee of the trainmen, l.. E- Shep- yard ot the conductors, w. s. Carter of the firemen. and 1T. Q. Cashcn of the switchmen, de- clarcd in turn they had no power to cancel the strike order, ex-
 Dressed the Individual opinion ] that their men would not oDey fan order from them or the board fs remain at vyorks and reiterated their previous declarations that
 "only satisfactory settIement"
 eould avert the walkouf-
 Such a settlement. they said, would be reconsideration by the labor board | of it's 12 per cent wage reduction | order of last July or a movement by the individual railroads to conter with the unions and set aside the i boatd's order.
 w. $. Garter declared settlement should also reimburse the men TOT the pay lost since July as a result i of the wage cut.
  union leaders were;
 awho. Or what authority. fn
 your labor organization can with-
 draw the order to strike or stop . atrikeY
 Asuppose you. the chief execu-
 tive of your organisation or your
 executive committee, issued an
 order OF statement that strike
 should not occur. do you not oe-
 hA yentedf
 .Nfli you, as chief executive,
 -se your power and Influence to <, .~e that the orders of the board ou the matter be obeyedW
 That the government contemplates t,iunction proceedings against the 'nions for violation of the transpor- ltion act was indicated by the trend questioning, conducted by Ben VI. ooper, representative of the pub on the board uonner sought throughout his ex- ninat,on of his five union leaders
 hr;nu out that their strike order as not only in defiance of the July avs cut decision, but. by including ,hsr and unsettled questions, vto-
 ad mat part of the transportation M [, which says all disputes shall M referred to the board first for set ] ment. a @e. of the trainmen. said his or N ,sationss ballot was based solely the July wage cut, and declared e M withdrawn from the brother
 ds, joint meeting. and refused to \ bscribe to their ballot. The Ian \ lare of the joint ballot. he said. k 1niied other questions were in- N 5lved. t The other leaders defended the