The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-30
Railway Union Leaders Seek
Way Out of DeIimma.
Are Voting to Refuse
Federal Board Slash.
FACE new ADVERSE DECISION
Thousand Leaders Hold Four
Sessions in Chicago.
Jewell Makes Plea for Public
Cooperation.

Chicago, June 30.-More than a
thousand railway union leaders. rep
resenting 100000 railway employees.
will convene in Chicago tomorrow in
an effort to prevent a tie-up of the
nations transportation systems.
These union leaders will decide
whether the workers shall abide by
the United States railway labor
boards order slashing wages IL per
cent, whether there shall be a walk
out permitted, or whether further ef-
forts shall be employed in seeking
compromise arrangements.
Union leaders declare a walkout
could not be declared at the sched-
uled conferences, because such an or
der would have to be backed up in
many instances by a referendum vote
of members of many of the unions
which as yet have not expressed their
sentiment ballot.
Hope to Avert Strike.
B. NJ. Jewell. president of the rail-
way employees department of the
American Federation of Labor, said
the referendum vote of the shop
crafts workers had been completed
and would be announced shortly. 1t
| was reliably reported that the official
count backed up unofficial reports
| that the shop crafts workers had
Overwhelmingly rejected the wage
slash. The executive council of the
federation shop crafts has called the
six presidents of the crafts to hurry
| to Chicago.
Other railway unions which have
already taken a referendum vote in
clude the metal workers, signal men.
| stationary engineers and maintenance
| of way men.
the above unions. of the engineers,
| firemen, conductors, trainmen, switch
men and clerks at the Chicago con-
clave.
Mr.. Jewell was hopeful today that
strike would be averted and thought
IT would be if there were proper CO.
operation from the railroads and the
general public.
-Four Meetings at Once.
There VIII be four main meetings in
progress Saturday. The conference OF
the four brotherhood chairmen-by
Tar the largest meeting-will be at
Medfnah temple; maintenance of way
men will meet at the Masonic temple;
railway clerks, reports at the Atlantic
hotel. and the chief executives of rail-
way workers organizations will as
semble at the Great Northern hotel
| The various organizations were
faced today by further adverse
ruling by the railway labor board,
which will react against them in their
controversies with the employing
roads. This decision held that no
separate agreement on wages or work
ing conditions made by any group Of
railway employees have force against
an agreement made with that class OF
employees as a whole.
| When the conference of the rail-
way workers heads was first called for
IChicago. the IL per cent wage slash
was to be made operative July I. That
lcondition has been modified by the
railroad labor board extending in
definitely the national agreement.
Iobviating any slash in all cases where
the railways and workers have not
been able to get together on a new
wage scale and working agreement
This means that in the majority of
cases the IL per cent cut will not be
lmade operative tomorrow. as originally
intended.