Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-17
SURVEY OF CONDITIONS BEGUN
BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AIT
WASHINGTON; SEEK SEIIL LEMEN1
P Postmaster General Hay. Is
Confident Means Will Be
Found By, Which Mails
Will Be Moved; 10000
Army Trucks May Be Put
Into Use.

Into Use.
ment through its various departments
began today a survey of the situation ,
as developed by the call Of railroad
union leaders for general strike be-
ginning October 80.
Keeping Close Watch.
Officials from President Harding
down to departmetal bureau chiefs
and secret service agents were known
to be watching the situation closely.
meanwhile hoping that some means
might be found for averting par
alyHis of the nations transportation
system The whole range OF posi-
biittes was regarded by officials as SO
nebulous at the present time as tl
make it practical to await develop
ments before taking action.
hope was expressed generally by
officials that the suggestion advanced
by the public group of the raiaroadI !
labor board, here for conferences With
the interstate commerce commission
might be made the basis for a solution
Of the problem. The public group
roads Immediately put into effect
freight reductions equivalent to the
wage decreases authorized by the
board last July, that the railroads
withdraw further requests for wage
reductions and that the employees re-
sdnd the strike order pending action
by the board on proposals OF the car
riers for further pay cuts
$ Mails Will Move.
Postmaster General Hays in /, tho
only public statement issued up to
noon. declared ''the mails viii be
moved" 3
T am sure the parties to the CON
troversy vii not permit developments
which will interfere with government
service" said Mr.. Hays. This is no
time for statements from this depart
ment A time may come for action.
sincerely trust that it will not. II
it does there will be action Tho
mails will be moved"
White House and other officials de-
clined to comment on reports that
the president might call the railroad
Inaan: chiefs. " Washington ror eon.
About 81. 900 army trucks. most Of
them now IN. storage at Corps area
depots over the country would be
available for transportation use in the
event Of complete railroad tie up,
it was learned at the war depart
ment. SD far the department. how
ever, has not been called upon for
any estimate of its transportation IA
rciliies Or what army personnel could
do in the way of emergency train op-
Grafton. %
No Proposal.
1t was emphasized at the war, de-
partment. however that there had
: been no official discussion Of any PRO-
posal in connection with the strike
i h1 1n,No W. y,f
consideration as had been given was
result of office routine requiring pre-
ininary study in order that reports
as to what the army could do would
be quickly forthcoming il called for
by Secretary Weeks.
Chairman Barton and the other
public representatives on the railroad
! labor board conferred today win
, Chairman Cummins of the senate in
/ terstate commerce committee. Sew
eral remedies were understood to have
| been suggested but it was said that
no conclusion had been reached.
Senator Cummins is of tho opinion
that congress can make no move un-
| til the executive has exhausted every
possible means of averting a strike.
There was some discussion today Of
bringing up the anti-strike bill spon-
sored by Senator Poindexter, Repub-
lican. Washington, but it was said
there would be no immediate action
! by congress.
Washington, Oct IT, Official
Washtngton's interest in the impend-
ing national railway strike conferred
today in the reaction of railway ex-
ecutives and labor leaders to the pre-
posal OF the public group of the rail-
road labor board of "one feasible
plan to prevent the tieup OF the
country's transportation system.
| THE BOARDS PROPOSAL
In brief tho board proposed:
THAT the railroads immedi.
ately put into effect freight rate
reductions equivalent to the wage
reductions authorized last July
2-That requests for further
wage decreases be withdrawn.
S-That the employees with
draw their strike order pending
action Of the board upon any re-
quest for further wagc reductions
which the carriers subsequently
| might file.
Confined to Conferences.
! Federal action in connection with
the strike had been confined until
today to the conferences arranged by
I, President Harding between the pub
] lie group! OF the labor board and the
| interstate commerce commission. the
impression being that the president
intended to leave the matter tempor-
arily in the hands OF the two agencies
|: Continued on page 13.)
! hf4 II Z . Z