The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-10-21
CONFERENCES
FAILURE;UNI0N
PREPAREDNESS
Hope For Averting Strike, Ac.
cording to Labor Chiefs,
Lies in Harding
RAIL EXECUTIVES AT WORK
Also Drawing Lines to Combat
Strike if Carried Into Ef-
feet October 80
PREPARE FOR STRIKE

va" S"toHIo, IeN.s OCt. IL
approximately 600 members Of the
Brotherhood Of Railroad Train.
men employed by the internation-
al and Great Northern today com.
p|eted final preparations for a
strike scheduled to begin at noon
tomorrow, one week in advance
OF the date set for the general
waIkout Of railroad men.
"ABSoLUTELY UNCHANGED"
Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. Ribbon
his return from Chicago where the
Big Five Brotherhood railroad
executives were in session yester-
day with the United States Labor
Board, VIM. G. Lee, president Of
the Trainmen's organization, an.
nounced this morning that the
railroad strike situation was ab.
soluteIy undisturbed.
Chicago, Oct. 21-(By the Asso-
ciated yPress)-The United States
Railroad Labor Board, backed by
all the authority which the GOV.
ernment can place at it's disposal.
called the railroads Of the country
and the five big unions to appear
here next week and soIemnIy
warned the unions not to strike
until the board has heard their
grievances and rendered decis-
ion. ~.
The boards action practically
means that there will be no strike
Oct. 80 unless the unions should
choose to openly defy the govern
nent for it is hardly probable that
a decision will be rendered by the
board before that date. The hear
ing is set for Oct. 26 at 10 a. m.
It will be open to the press and
public and with more than 200
railroads and many unions in.
volved, either directly or indirect.
", will probably last several days.
Chicago, Oct. 2l--(By the Associat.
ed Press)-Lack Of any provisions by
the unions for suspending the railroad
strike called for October 30 made it
impossible to accept the plan offered
by the U. S. Railroad Labor board yes
terday, it was said today in union cir
cles.
The strike authorization provides
only for ending the strike presum-
ably after a settlement which union
leaders have maintained must involve
more than the question of tho July
wage reduction on which the strike
was technically called.
The board, it was said, presented
three proposals to the presidents OF
the Big -Four brOtherhoods and the
owitchmen's Union of North America.
Three Proposals
They we're:
I. The railroads to make reduc-
ton in freight rates correspond
ing to the wage reduction Of July
less such reductions as have al
ready been made since that date.
2. The roads to refrain from ap-
peaIing to the Y. s. Railroad Ia.
Dor Board for further reductions
until the last cut has been trans.
lated into rate reductions.
3. The unions suspend or with.
draw their strike order.
These proposals made no mention
Of overtime and other rules promul-
gated under federal control which the
seek to retain and which
the board has been revising. The
chiefs declared their
strongest fight in any strike settle
ment will be- made on these rules.
Willing to Take Two
The five union presidents were will
ing to accept the first two but declar-
ed they had made no arrangements
for suspending their strike and any
settlement must be made before Octo-
ber 80 or the walkout would auto
become effective.
Yesterdays optimism was notice.
ably absent in union circles today and
in it's place was seeming resignation
to the belief that the strike is now
inevitable unless President Harding
assumes the initiative with some
drastic step.
Chicago, Oct 21-(By the Associat
ed Press)-The United States Rail
road Labor board, having admittedly
failed in it's attempts to prevent rail
strike through conference with heads
of the Big Five rail unions labor chiefs
today were rushing plans for gen
eral walkout beginning October 80 ant
officials of the carriers were moving
at double time in their preparations
to combat the proposed strike.
A report of the conference wa:
telepraphed to President Harding a
Washington and both the labor leaders
and board members seemed to be in.
clined to feel that the next step to
ward eleviating the crisis would bt
taken there. Several railNad uniOI
men said that 1T looked as if only
the government itself could prevent {
walkOut.'
Chiefs Meeting
Warren S. Stone, w. G. Lee, and W
S. Carter we're in Cleveland today
meeting informally with their execu
tive committees to complete strike