Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1921-10-19
.U.S.INTERvENES
IN RAIL STRIKE
Chiefs of Brotherhoods Called to
Meeting in Chicago on
Thursday.
WAGE BOARD ON The WAY
Grand Chief of Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers Says Either Govern
ment or Rail Officials Can End
Threatened Rail Struggle.

Chicago, Oct. 19.-Government inter-
vention in the railway strike impended
definitely in call by the railway wage
boards to chiefs Of the four big
brotherhoods and the switchmen's
meeting to a conference in Chicago
Thursday afternoon.
Presumably the call to parley came
from Judge r. NJ. Barton, chairman Of
the board, and two other members
who are on train coming to Chicago
from Washington after a conference
with President Harding.
When Judge Barton and his fellow
members, who with him constitute the
publics representation on the board,
left the capital they were silent re-
garding their talk with the President.
Then came kilograms to the brother
hood chiefs. Board members in Chi
cago said the call was, not sent from
here
No outline of what would be dis
cusesd at the Thursday meeting was
limited, but it was said that definite
proposals would be presented the
brotherhood heads in an effort to avert
the strike for which the transportation
unions have voted.
In response to al emergency sum
mons issued from Cincinnati, the %
grand officers and 200 general chair
men of the Brotherhood of Railway
Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and
Station Employees will meet in Chi
cago Sunday.
The organizations attitude toward
the railway wage strike which trans
portatiOn brotherhood chiefs have
called for October 80 will be defined
at this conference, which, was called
by Grand President e. H. Fitzgerald.
The report announcing this meet
ing said the II railroad labor organiza.
tons not affiliated with the big Five"
brotherhoods have issued no strike
order; that such reports are founded
on Misrepresentation"
r Biacksmiths With Big Five.
The big Five" brotherhoods have
combined membership of 100000 to
500, OOO-all train service employees;
the IL other unions, embracing viz,
tually every other class of railway laf
Dor, have about 100000 members. !
: One Of the II last mentioned, the,
bfacksmiths,+h has announced It's 7inten.
ton, Of going with the. FIVE brother
hoods.
"Going through to a Strike"
From Cleveland Warren S. Stone,
grand chief of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, issued state
meDt;which seemed to put at rest re-
PORTS that the strike movement fos-
tered by the Big Five is nothing more
than bluff. za!2t1 n D hsin
~ think we ara togo Through. to a.
strike" said Mr.. Stone. "The railway
executives wanted this strike. They
thought now was, the time to fight us
to a finish.
1.-THE committee Of railway execu-
tives which met with us in Chicago
last Friday told US the public demands
lower rates and that the only way
to decrease rates Is to cut wages Of
our men again."
AZ Two Ways to Stop IL.
Mr.. Stone said either the govern.
ment or railway officials can avert the
threatened transportation struggle.
"rhe government" he asserted,
"can prevent a strike by taking over
the railroads, which it will do some
day. and the railroads can prevent by
withdrawing requests for further wage
reductions and elimination of working
rules favorable to US.
"This crisis was caused more than
anything else by the determination of
the railways to abolish the working
agreements which 1t has taken the
transportation brotherhOOds years to
gain. l have on my desk here"-and
he indicated sheaf of papers-"from
IS to 100 complaints from our men on
IS roads.
'"This effort to change working con-
ditions has gradually worked our men
up to a high pitch of dissatisfaction.
With all of their grievances, wage and
working agreements nothing on earth
could have prevented them from vOt-
ing for a strike"