New-York tribune., 1921-07-01
Chiefs
Meet To-day to
Avert Strike
Union Leaders Will Act ON
Wage Cut Affecting
/ 100000 Workers That
Will Begin This Morning
1000 Gather i'm Chicago
Result of Referendum by
Employees During Month
Will Be Given Saturday
speeia, Dispatch to The Tribune


CHICAGO, June 3o.-As 1900 ooo
railway employees throughout the
country report for work tomorrow at
reduced wage more than 1000 of
their union leaders will be attending
conferences here that are relied upon
to keep transportation wheels turning
Charged with the responsibility of
averting serious consequences in con-
nection with dissatisfaction rail work
ers feel toward the United States Rail-
/ road Labor Board decision authorizing
s l2 per cent reduction in wares. the
labor representatives arriving in Chi
| cago to-day were not inclined to dis
cuss their mission. That they will vote
to abide by the order, with some for
nal protest, seems TO be the prevailing
forecast among unbiased observers
The variously expressed attitude of
most of them, however, was we'll
summed up in the words of one of
their number, who said:
We are here to dispose of the wage
question without serious results, but
we are not going to talk about il
until we do" @
Labor Chiefs Arrive
Among the labor chiefs who had reg
istered tonight for the conferences
day were w. S. Carter, president of the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen
and Enginemen; H. P. Dougherty, vice
grand chairman of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers; l.. E. Sheppard
president of the Order of Railway Con-
dictors, and T. C. Cashen, president of
the American Train Dispatchers' .Asso-
citation.
The international presidents of each
Of the six crafts of the Federated Shop
Crafts also had arrived. Numbe re d
among the late arrivals will be some of
She chief executives of the sixteen
labor organizations.
The chief executives will meet at the
Great Northern Hotel. They will re-
ceive reports on action taken at the
various conferences in May and will
send back recomm endations for furthe r
or revised action.
The general chairmen of the four
big brotherhoods, who constitute the
majority of those in attendance, will
assemble in Medinah Temple; mainte-
nance OF way men probably will meet
IN the Masonic Temple, and the clerks
will be in session at the Atlantic Hotel.
To Tell Result of Vote
The result OF the referendum vote
In the wage reduction taken by the
shop crafts during the last thirty days
was still subject of much speculation.
This probably will be officially an
nounced Saturday, B. NJ. Jewell, presi-
dent OF the Railway Employees De-
partment of the American Federation
ef Labor, said The shopmen, it is gen
orally believed, have voted to reject the
wage reduction.
Timothy Healy, international presi-
dent Of the Stationary Engineers and
Oilers Organization, announced his
men had voted overwhelmingly in favor
of rejecting the pay cut.
Predictions that the union leaders
will accept the Railroad Labor Board
decision are based upon the fact that
they have authority to do so, and that,
with their knowledge of industrial con-
ditions, they will not advocate swelling
of the ranks of unemployed
In any event, a decision on their
part ordering walk-out would not be
final. Such an order would have to be
submitted to referendum vote of the
membership of many organizations
that have not formally voted on the
issue.