The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-19
WILL BE NO RAIL
STRIKE, is VIEW
W WASHINGTON
OHciaIdoy7l Feels Sit.
uatior1 Car1 Be
Cleared Up.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1921.
Especial to The Argus.)

opinion today among members of
the cabinet and others in touch with
the railroad situation is that there
will be no strike.
This is based mostly on a knowI-
edge that the labor leaders them
selves are not eager for test Of
strength and that the railroad ex-
ecutiv2s cannot afford to take an
arbitrary attitude toward any com
promise solution that may be pro-
posed.
Cut Rates Needed.
Many a compromise is being con-
s:dered The chances are that the
calling of the strike as a protest
against a second wage cut will lose
its main justification when a pro-
posal is made that the interstate
commerce commission and railroad
| labor board be given an opportun-
| ity to work out a program whereby
reductions in wages shall be passed
on to the consumer through cheaper
freight rates.
As it is now, the labor leaders
claim the first cut in wages of last
July wasn't passed on. The rail-
roads claim the wage cut wasn't
big enough to warrant a drop in
rates. The strike has been called
mostly to prevent a second cut. The
request for a second cut in wages,
it is suspected. is largely the STRAIT
egy of the railroad executives IN
wishing to make sure the accept
ance of the first cut
Shippers Blame Rail Board.
/ Shippers organizations seem to
be placing as much blame on the
United States Railroad Labor board
as on either of the parties to the
controversy for the failure of the
railroads to reduce rates. The rail-
. road labor board on the other hand
claims it hasn't been able to oper-
ate single handed since il could not
know how far wages could be re-
duced because there was no way
of knowing how far the interstate
| commerce commission thought 1t
/ wise to go in reducing rates. The
| labor board has been handling
wages, the interstate commerce
= commission has been handling
rates. President Harding has wise
: ly brought the two agencies to
r gether. They have practically adopt
i ed a program which will be offer
ed as the combined judgment o.
the two instrumentalities whicr
deal with American railroads.
There are plenty of technical
!; ties, plenty of chances for give anC
1 take in the negotiations to permi
of a withdrawal of the strike. or
der, or at least its indefinite sus
5 pension, while the whole contro
i versy is further examined. Thi'
seems the most likely outcome o
: the meeting in Chicago of the rail
l road labor board and the brother
hood chiefs. The latest threat t
q strike is not the result of any long
drawn out negotiations in whicl
both sides have exhausted the1
argumentatiye resources. 1t is a
S much the result of an old-fashione
e calling of a bluff" as anything else
q The labor leaders called on the ez
ecutives to protest against the mrs
wage cut The. executives replle
= with an announcement that the
5 intended to request a second Gu
The labor leaders said they woul
/ have to call a strike, and the e1
/ ecutives in effect said Go ahead
The labor leaders were compelle
TO go ahead or lose moral strengt
y in a negotiation. If pushed to th
S. limit, they will go through with tn
y tie-up but nobody here believes tn
Ie government will allow the two pa
.r ties TO the dispute to goad eac
Is other into test of power at til
expense of the public.
ID Harding Says Nothing.
r New proposals of settlement al
n fully expected therefore from Il
n United States railroad labor boar
iU which will permit each side to r
Us cede gracefully while a program
II wage cuts on the one hand al
l. freight rate reductions on the otht
is worked out. Meanwhile Alto
ney General Daugherty is makiI
a no rash statements about the Vi
O. of the injunction and Presidel
yn Harding is keeping scrupulous
ts silent. Nothing is being done
il the administration to aggravate Il
n situation. For the next few da.
ar the usefulness of the United Stat
IL railroad board as an agency f
al settling railway disputes hangs
NJ the balance. If it fails congre
II will have TO effect another rened
~ But the disposition here is to gi
he the board a further opportunity