The Holly chieftain., 1921-10-27
Strenuous Efforts Being Made to
Prevent the Threatened Rail-
way Strike.
ussEMsIoNs AMONG UNIONS
Government Recommends Reduction Of
Rates and Delay Of Wage Cut Re-
quest-senate Ratifes Peace
Treaties With Central Pow
ers-Attempt on Am
bassador herricks
Life
BY EDWARD W. p,ckARD.

IL the railway brotherhoods carry
out their threat to go on strike ON
october 80, the walk-out will not be
general. Most. II not all, Of the eleven
,inions affiliated with the "big five"
t.rOtaerhoods will refuse to 60 out
with the latter. The railway mana-
gers. with the aid OF loyal employees,
pensioners and volunteers, will be
able to give the country at least lin
tied service. The sympathy of the
American public will not be with the
strikers. For all these reasons. the
strike Will be virtually a failure.
Such was the prediction OF compe-
tent and unbiased observers Of the
critical situation OF last week.
Spurred by tile administration to
quick and decisive action, the railway
labor board went to Chicago and
called the heads of the brotherhoOds
into conference with 1t there. The
proceedings were secret, and the
union chiefs were given the oppOr-
tunity to talk frankly and freely. Be-
fore leaving Washington the ''public
6toup VI lbC CbuSultu 1T
length with President Harding and
with the members of the Interstate
commerce commit, y. and 1t was CIV
en- out that the ,Jicy sanctioned by
tue administration included these main
points:
/. Immediate suspension of the
strike order pending further negotia-
tons looking to settlement
q. Use of the brotherhoods infiu-
eace to forestall strike orders by any
of the other labor organizations now
considering wnlkout.
5 Proposal OF platform on which
flaat settlement might be reached, to
Include these points. with the proviso
that there will be no strike:
(a) Withdrawal for definite peril
cd of the proposed request by the
roads for the further 10 per cent wage
decreases.
tb) Immediate reduction OF freight
rates by the roads.
A program based on these was
placed before the union chiefs, but it
was noted that 1t left out OF consid-
GRAFTON the two points which are actu-
ally at the bottom of the strike threat.
1hese are the question Of time, and
toe cancellation Of the existing rules
and working conditions. Ostensibly
the strike, If 1t comes. will be on the
matter Of wage reductions, but the
two points mentioned are the real bone
OF contention. On this fact is based
the prediction that the allied unions
VIII not support the brotherho0ds In
walk-out. for the 'big five" leaders
have refused to give the other unions
say pledge that they would not call
on the strike of the. brotherhood men
" they obtained working concessions.
The other unions realize that they
might very likely be left to hold the
bus.
The final attitude of these socalled
standard unions" was to be deter.
mlned at series of conferences which
began In Chicago Wednesday and con.
tiuued during the rest OF the week.
Railway executives were not talking
much beyond saying that they would
~ tueH uthuoSl W iuoNe hecesslties.
Bat. Of course, they have been prepar-
Ing for some time to combat the strike,
aud. It Is said. have agreed upon
rhe general policy Of operating mail,
passenger and milk trains first, and
decreasing the freight trad7c as rap |
diy as men car be obtained. They
ount on getting thousands OF train
seevtce men who have Oeau laid on l
and are stiii out Of work. and already