The New York herald., 1921-10-15
JOINT MEETING rs HELD
Head Of an Eastern Road
Says if Men Walk Out
Oct. 80 He'Will Halt
Operations.
EXPLANATION BY CUYLER
Says 1917 Payrolls u U. s.
Railroads Totalled 81, ,468.-
100000; in 1920 They
Were 5000, 100000.

VVveV0Ve IL OAV uCy
Were &3, 900, 100000.
Special Despatch to THE New Yosx HBRAIn.
CHICAGO, Oct. 14.--An immediate fur
ther reduction Of 10 per cent. in rail-
road wages will be asked. Of the United
States Railroad Labor Board, the AS
sociation- of American Railway Ex-
ecutives decided In secret session here
today.
With the announcement Of the de-
nanG for the wage cut the railroad
heads stated that their plan is to bring
about o reduction in rates. and in
order to accomplish this new cut In
the pa. of employees is necessary.
The demand is to be made in the
face Of discomfort OF the employees at
the. recent modification Of. wages
granted by the Labor Board a..d in
prospect OF a strike Of, the workers
at present wages. II is considered an
indication of the determination of the
executives to fight to finish now the
question of getting away from war
time high wages.
A committee OF five was appointed
to meet the workers. in accordance
with the request made early in the
day by Warren s. Stone, grand chief
Of the Brotherhood Of Locomotive En-
gineers. Mr.. Stone had requested a
conference In behalf Of the six big
railroad unions which have voted to
strike. X,
Though 1t was reported. presumably
or good authority. that there was to
be strike called .Octot3r 70. begin
ming in one section and spreading to
other sections at forty-eight hour pc
RODS. none of the heads OF the brother
hoods would acknowledge that sucl,
action had been Endorsed at their meet
ing last night
workers. Executives Reticent.
Mr.. Stone refused either to affirm or
deny the report. as did other brother
hood chiefs.
One executive declared his belief that
the report was allowed to cmanate from,
the meeting last night. which had been
called for the purpose Of announcing a
strike date. for the sole purpose OF put
Sing the brotherhood chiefs in tactical
position to force settlement OF the
wage question brought UP at a meeting
list July.
Another executive. head of an Eastern
read. said: "rf they strike and tie up
ne railroad, ! will make no effort to
q. crate It. Tho strike would be against
ne public and 80 would let the public
rpen It. up. feel certain that II the
public saw how its interests were being
assailed by the strike they would NOT
3, long in opening the roads, M
After It had been announced that an
additional 10 per cent. reduction was to
he asked. the executives went into con-
Tlrence with the brotherhood chiefs.
The committee of railroad executives
and union men who met In conference
*'cre c. II. Markham. president Of the
illinois Central w. w. Atterbury, vice
president Of the Pennsylvania j. Z.
German. president Of the Rock Island
Carl Gray. president OF the Union Pa
cific: Ralph Budd. president OF the
Great Northern. The unions were rep
resented by w. @. Lee, president Of the
trainmen's organisation; ~, 8. Stone,
head Of the engineers; w. s. Carter,
head Of the firemcn l.. II. Sheppard,
raed OF the conductors. and T. C. Cashin.
head OF the switchmen. They were in
session less than an hour.
There Is nothing to say" declared
MIR. Markham. % ...c meeting ended.
Cu~.er Issues Statement.
as,sr Thomas' se witt Cuyier. chair
pm OF the executives. issued a state
inest In which he said
AZ a meeting of the Association Of
Railway Executives to-day II was deter
mined By the railroads Of the United
States TO seek to bring about reduc-
ton In rates. and as a means to that
end to seek reduction In present rail-
road wages. which have compelled MAIN
tenance OF the present rates.
An application viii be made imme-
diateiy to the United States Railroad
Labor Board for a reduction In wages
Of train service employees sufficient to
remove the remainder OF the increases
made BY the Labor Boards decision OF
July 20. 1890 (which would involve
further reduction OF approximately 10
per cent?, and for a reduction in the
wages of all other classes OF railroad
labor TO the going rate for such labor
In the several territories where the car
rcrs operate.
THE foregoing action Is upon the un-
derrtandfng that concurrently with such
reduction In wages the benefit OF the
reduction thus obtained shall. with the
concurrence of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. he passed on to the public
In the reduction OF existing railroad
rates, except In 90 far as this reduction
shaiJ have been made in the meantime.
The n,anagements have decided upon
this course in view Of their realization
OF the fact that the wheels OF industrial
activity have been slowed down to
point which brings depression and dis
tress TO the entire public, and that some