The New York herald., 1921-10-20
BIZ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Prcss. Z
CHICAGO, Oct. 19.--Preparation for
the moves through which 1t is hoped
the threatened rail strike will be
averted were completed to-day and
the peace efforts will be in full swing
tomorrow.
Heads Of the union and of the car
riers were silently alert tonight with
--figuratively speaking-one eye on.
the conferences tomorrow between
the big Five" rail union leaders and
the Railroad Labor Board, and the
unions which have not yet Joined the
conductors, enginemen. trainmen, fire.
men and switchmen in strike order.
for both sides were agreed that out of
these conferences would come the
final decision as to whether a general
walkout>of rail employees would ma
terializd
In the conference with the labor
board rests the possibility Of the big
Five" being persuaded to cancel their
order for a walkout. while in the
meetings of the eleven unions. which
actually started to-day, it is to be de-
cided whether these organizations
holding the balance of man power
through numbering three-fourths of
the nearly 100000 rail workers in
their membership, would join the big
Five" If they walked out October 80
as planned.
Executives Go to Chicago.
Warren S. Store, president of the
Brotherhood Of Locomoti-, Engineers
w. G. Lee. president Of the Brotherhood
Of Railroad Trairmen w. $. Carter,
president of the Brotherhood OF Loco
motive Firemen and Engir emen; r. c.
Cast en-. presiden. Of the Switchmen's
Union of North America. end Il. p. Cur
tis, vice-president Of the O:der of Rail-
way Conductors, left Cleveland tonight
for Chicago to meet with the Labor
Board at the latter's request l.. E.
Sheppard, president OF t.ie conductors
organization, also is expected to be here
tomorrow.
While this conference was looked on
as the most important OF the peace
movements. railroad executives professed
to see signs OF peaceful settlement of
the difficulties In the att trde of h. NJ.
Jewell. head Of the 476.000 members of
the six railwaj shop craft organizations.
and of J. c. Smock, vice-president of
the Maintenar.ce OF Way Union. which
rumbers 400, 900 men.
The shop crafts Executive Council met
to-day, but took no action o'her than to
call IN the conference com-,ittee OF 100.
The committee. while having power to
call a strike, also Is expected to defer
action by calling in the 1000 general
chairmen for a meeting f. iday, when
the final attitude of these groups prob
ably will be made known.
The Maintenance of Way Executive
Council met only informally to-day, the
formal meeting coming tomorrow, when
all the members are expected to be
present.
Labor Chief Against Strike.
~ cannot speak for my entire or
ganizatiCn now. but personally / will say
that VIC do not want STRIFE, that we
would never strike on the wage question
unless forced TO. and that VIC will not go
into any walk1ut with the brotherhoods
unless We have definite promises of CO.
tperatlon. which SO far have not been
forthcoming from them" said T. C.
SmociS. Maintenance of Way vice-presi
dent. tonight
Mr.. Jewell repeated his statemcrts
that he was opposed to the strike.
The Labor Board will go into confer
erce with assurance of full support from
every interested governmental depart
ment. its members said tonight after
On executive session at which they went
over the case. One member intimate
that he believed the board had found a
legal method OF enforcing its ruling.
Heretofore the board has maintained
that II had no power to carry out it's
decisions and unions and railroads each
have charged the other with violating
the boards rulings.
The board had no announcement to
make tonight as to its procedure to-
morrow other than TO say that the situa-
tion would be gone over thoroughly"
II was understood. however. that a plan
similar to that proposed by the public
group in Misunderstanding for ac.
ceptance of the last wage cut and can
collation. OF the strike order by the men.
with the roads Immediately reducing
freight rates and temporarily postpon-
ing further wage cuts--would be the
ba sis Of discussion.
Board members admitted that they
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