The New York herald., 1921-10-19
President Insists After Cab
met Meeting That Boards
Decision Has to Be
Accepted.
WILL PROTECT PUBLIC
Although Not Interfering
Extraordinarily, All Moves
Are Watched and Daugh-
erty Is Alert.
1. G. C. MAY CUT RATES
Administration Advisers Don't
Believe Men Will Quit and
Flout People, With Fail
urc Ahead.
Special Despatch TO THE NEW YORK HEkALlA
New York Herald Burrat,,

"Hc"ahesous O' N.s OCt- 10.
President Harding has put it
squarely up to the members of the
Railroad Labor Board to perform
their duties under the law as the ad.
INDICATORS of railroad wage contro-
versies and to the railroad executives
and union leaders to accept the
boards mediation in the present
critical situation.
The President has taken no steps
toward interference in the wage con-
troversy.
These facts were learned officially
at the White House to-day after
meeting Of the President and his
Cabinet.
In his conferences with the board
and Cabinet officers during the last
few days the President has bent all
his efforts toward bringing to an is.
sue the question Of whether or not
the labor board will be able to func.
tion in settlement of railroad strikes
and in measures for protection of the
public IN the event a nationwide
strike should come at the end of this
month, as threatened by the railroad
brotherhoods
The Cabinet at it's meeting to-day
cid not discuss the railroad wage
situation. Most OF its time was de-
voted to hearing an informal report
on irrigation and Indian conditions
in the West from Secretary of the
Interior Fall. who has returned from
a Western trip.
President Starts on 1rir.
When the representatives of the
public on the Railroad Labor Board,
r. NJ. Barton, G. w. W. Hanger and
J. w. Hooper. left Washington last
night for Chicago. after telegraphing
an invitation to the brotherhood
chiefs to meet them in conference
there on Thursday. the activities OF
The President in the situation ceased
for the present. He started tonight
for Williamsburg, Va, to be gone I'm.
I'll Thursday. The last word he gave
to the members of the board at their
meeting with MIN at the White
House late yesterday afternoon was
that they should endeavor to act ef.
fectively in the emergency and TO
bring the railroad executives and the
union leaders together for an ad.
judication Of the controversy. as in
tended by the terms OF the transpor.
tation act creating the board.
This duty the public group on the
board will endeavor to perform.
Chairman Barton will keep the Presi-
dent informed OF every step. The
President is watching every move
closely and will help toward an
amicable and legal solution in any
way within his power, but he has
made 1t perfectly plain that he has
rot made up his mind to act in the
matter ra-officially, or independ.
emily of the board
What the President may do. if It
becomes apparent that the board is a
complete failure and the strike
should come, is a matter OF pure
speculation at this time. Eventually.
the President might recommend
some change to put teeth into the
transportation act, but he allowed IL
to become known to-day that his acy
tions in such an event are undeter.
mined.
Can't Torcsee strike Now
The Administration does not -.
lieve the brotherhoods will bring on
general railroad tieup in the face
Of overwhelming adverse public
opinion and the logic of the situa.
tion, which would seem to indicate
a strike failure at this time.
The Presidents Cabinet advisers
believe that il the railroad executives
and union chiefs refuse TO accept the
boards mediation the Federal au-
thorities should stand aside and let
the strike proceed TO a point at which
both sides would see the necessity
OF getting together and ending It.
which would not take long, they be.
lieve.
Within a few days step may be
taken by the Interstate Commerce
Commission that may ease the situ-
alton. There were distinct indica.
fioni today that the cor,ulission