Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-19
FARM BUREAU
OFFERS To ACT
AS MEDIATOR
Several Other Groups,
Including Few Unions,
Trying to Avoid Strike
Rail Heads Called in by
Labor Board F or Series
of Meetings.

CllCdRO, OcI. lO.-\Dy 1T
Associated Press.)-Efforts t.
avert the nationwide raj
strike scheduled for October
80 Tuesday night found gov.
ernmental agencies, repre-.
sentatives of the public and
some railway labor unions
taking action simultaneously
which all three hoped would
prevent a tie-up of the coun-
try's transportation system
through a walkout of nearly
100000 employees in protest
of wage cuts.
Foremost among the moves being
made by the different groups was a
meeting between the United States
railroad labor board and the heads of
the five unions, which have already
authorized their men to strike. 1t was
called for Thursday by the board and at
the request of President Harding, it
was said by board members.
The first move on the part of a
public organization to avert the strike
came when the American Farm Bureau
federation. representing 1,2jO,0OO
farmers, sent petitions to the inter-
state commerce commission on asking
immediate 10 to 20 per cent reductions
in freight rates on necessities and
announcing that it also would appeal
to the labor board not to grant new
10 per cent wage reduction which the
roads have asserted they will seek.
but rather to generally revise wages in
accordance with the cost of living in
requests should avert the strike. the
federation said, in it's announcement
volunteering to meet with union and
rail representatives AS a mediator.
Split in Labor Ranks
A series of meetings to last all
week 4will be started by the II rail
strike calls, although most of them
have voted for strike. Leaders of
several of these unions announced that
at these meetings they will oppose
strike call in the hope that split
between them and the five unions al
ready authorizing a walkout may avert
the threatened strike.
The union leaders called in by the
labor board were W. n. Carter. presi-
dent of the Brotherhood Of Locomotive
Firemen and Enginemen: Warren S.
Stone, president Of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers: William q.
Lee. president of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen; L. E. Sheppard,
president Of the Order Of Railway
Conductors. and II. c. Cashen, presi-
Jop% of tbo Svitnhp,or'c I'p;np Of
North America.
To Prevent Strike
The conference was called for the
avowed purpose of preventing a strike,
according to Ben Hooper, former gov
ernor of Tennessee and vice chairman
Of the labor board. Mr.. Hooper had
just returned from Washington where
he and other members Of the public
group of the board conferred with
President Harding. He Immediately
called other members Of the board into
conference.
1T is the desire of all elements of
the board to do everything possible to
prevent q STRIKE" Mr.. Hooper said. af-
ter a conference with the board mem
bers. what the procedure will be on
Thursday / cannot say. 1t is safe to
assume that every possibility Of avert
ing walkOut VIII be taken up, and 1t
is our hope that the two parties can
be brought together on some basis
looking toward settlement
Has the Authority
Mr.. Hooper refused to say whether
the board regarded the conference sum
mons as an investigation of threat
ened violation of the boards orders.
Under the transportation act, the board
is empowered to fix hearings in the
case Of railroads or railroad employees
who it has reason to believe have vio-
lated a decision of the board.
It was pointed out. however, that
there would be no violation Of the
boards July ! wage reduction order
until the men actually walked out.
BY coincidence, the first hearing Mt
which any party has been cited to ap-
pear because the board believed it has /,
a decision is set for the same
iay as the conference The Pennsyl- |
yania has been ordered to appear at |
That time because it has not held an
election of shopmen's representatives |
Is directed by the board.
Explaining further the public state
ment issued by the public group in |
Sunday. Mr.. Hooper said |
that the board recognized that there |
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