The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-18
MEET U. S. BOARD
Effort Is Made to FOrestalI
Strike on Railroads.
Members of Board in Confer
ence With President Harding.
MEETING CALLED THURSDAY
No Outline Made of What VIII
Be Discussed.
New Proposals VIII Be Made to
Union Leaders.
MEETING CALLED THURSDAY
(By the Associated Press.)

Washington, Oct. 18.-The action of
the railroad labor board in summon
ing railroad union chiefs to Chicago
for conference was described in high
official circles today as a first step
to determine whether the railway
board is to be regarded as an efficient
government agency or a failure.
The impression was given in ad-
ministration quarters today that
freight rate reduction was under con-
SideratiOn. There was no statement
to indicate how soon a decision on the
question might be reached but high
administration officials vouchsafed the
information that an announcement
concerning the rate readjustment
might come within a few days
Silence Maintained by Government.
1t was made plain that the consid-
Grafton being given to the rates ques-
ton was independent of the present
labor wage tangle and the threatened
walkout of the railroad employees.
Ground for the assumption that the
rate question had been discussed be-
tween the president and the public
group of the railroad labor board yes
terday was given in several quarters.
But official silence was maintained
thruout the government as to the ma
ture of the discussion and as to what
lines a rate adjustment would follow
should it be definitely decided upon
by the government agencies having to
do with the question.
The step, it was learned today after
the cabinet meeting, is in entire &C
cord with the desires of the admins
tration, althe the indications were
that President Harding was not ready
to take a personal hand in the situa-
ton SO long as the board was working
toward a solution. No conference be-
tween the president and the brother
hood chiefs is in immediate prospect,
it was said. The summons issued to
the brotherhood chiefs is understood
here to be a purely unofficial one. and
not of the formal character author
lied under the Cummins- -Esch law for
cases where there have been violations
of the boards rulings.
Discussions Are Informed.
The discussions at Chicago are ex-
pected to be largely informal, and to
be used as a basis for determining.
whether formal citations shall be is
sued against the brotherhoods.
The governments view is that
while the strike grows out of an ef-
fort of railroad managers to meet the
general call for reduction in transpor-
tation rates, it is actually hinged upon
a refusal of the railroad labor organ
izations to accept the cut in wages
made by the railroad labor board.
President Harding has been assured.
by the railroad labor board members
with whom he talked yesterday that
no formal request or proceeding in
volving additional wage cuts from the
railroad arrangements is before 1t
whatever the railroad heads may have
said publicly. 1t is considered i'm
portant by officials that no misun-
derstanding be incurred as to this.
The strike is officially regarded as
aimed at an existing order of the rail-
road labor board and not against an
anticipated order.