Roanoke Rapids herald., 1921-10-28
Strenuous Efforts Being Made to
Prevent the Threatened Rail-
way Strike.
D|SSENSIONS AMONG UNIONS
Government Recommends Reduction Of
Rates and Delay of Wage Cut Re-
quest-Senate Ratlfies Peace
Treaties With Central Pow.
ers-Attempt on Am.
bassador Herricks
Life
BY EDWARD W. PicKARD.

II the railway brotherhoods carry
out their threat to go on strike on
October 80, the walk-out will not be
general. Most, II not all, Of the eleven
unions affiliated with the "blg FIVE
brotherhoods will refuse to go Out
with the latter. The railway mana.
gers, with the aid Of loyal employees,
pensioners and volunteers, will be
able to give the country at least a lin
ited service. The sympathy Of the
American public will not be with the
strikers. For all these reasons, the
strike will be virtually failure.
Such was the prediction of compe-
tent and unbiased observers Of the
critical situation Of last week.
Spurred by the administration to
quick and decisive action. the railway
labor board went to Chicago and
called the heads Of the brotherhoods
into conference with 1t there The
proceedings were secret, and the
union chiefs were given the oppor-
tunity to talk frankly and freely. Be
fore leaving Washington the "publc
group" of the board consulted at
length with President Harding and
with the members of the Interstate
commerce commission, and 1t was CIV
en- out that the policy sanctioned by
the administration included these main
points:
l. Immediate suspension of the
strike order pending further negotla-
tions looking to settlement.
2. Use of the brotherhoods' innu.
ence to forestall strike orders by any
of the other labor organizations now
considering walkout.
3. Proposal of platform on which
final settlement might be reached, to
include these points, with the provlso
that there will be no strike:
(a) Withdrawal for a definite perl
cd Of the proposed request by the
roads for the further 10 per cent wage
decreases.
(b) Immediate reduction of freight
rates by the roads.
A program based on these was
placed before the union chiefs, but it
was noted that 1t left out of consid-
Grafton the two points which are actu-
ally at the bottom of the strike threat.
These are the question Of time, and
the cancellation of the existing rules
and working conditions. Ostenslbly
the strike, If it comes, will be on the
matter of wage reductions, but the
two points mentioned are the real bone
of contention. On this fact is based
the prediction that the allied unions
win not support the brotherhoods in
a walk-out, for the 'big five' leaders
have refused to give the other unions
any pledge that they would not call
Off the strike of the brotherhood men
If they obtained working concessions.
The other unions realize that they
might very likely be left to hold the
bag.
The final attitude Of these so-called
standard unions" was to be deter
mined at a series of conferences which
began In Chicago Wednesday and con-
tinued during the rest of the week.
Railway executives we're not talking
much beyond saying that they would
DO their utmost to move necessities"
But Of course, they have been prepar-
Ing for some time to combat the strike,
and, 1t Is said, have agreed upon
The generai policy Of operating mail,
and milk trains first, and
increasing the freight traffic as rap
dly as men can be obtained. They |
,ount on getting thousands Of train
service men who have been laid off |
md are still out Of work, and already