The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-20

today ana tomorrow the peace eI1O
 Tonight heads of the unions and oi the carriers were silently alert witi --figurativcly speas<ins--one eye or the conferences tomorrow betweer the big five rail union leaders and the rniIroad labor board, and ths other meetings of officials of clever unions which have not yet Joined thu conductors. enginemen,. trainmen n firemen and switchnen in strike order. For both sides were agreed that out of these conferences wOdlt come the final decision as to whether general vaIkout of rail employees would materiaIizes
 Tn the conference with the labor board rested the possibility of the big five" being persuaded to cancel their order for a walkout, while in the meetings of the eleven unions which actually started today was tc be decided whether these organiza- tions, holding the balance of man power through numbering three tourths of the nearly 100000 rail workers in their membership, wohld join the big five" If they walked out october 30, as planned.
 Warren s. Stone, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- neers; W. G. Lee president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainneni W. S. Carter, president of the Broth erhood of Locomotive Bremen and Enginemen; T. c. Cashen, president of the Switchmen's Union of North America and K. P. Curtis, vice pres ident of the Order of Railway Con- ductors, left Cleveland tonight for Chicago to meet with the labor board at the latter's request.
 l.. K. Sheppard, president of the conductors organization. also is ex- pected to be present tomorrow. While this conference was looked on as the most important of the peace moves the railroad men tight professed to see signs of g. peaceful settlem ent of the difficulties In the attitude of B M. Jewell head of, the 476, 900 mem bers of the six railway shop craft organizations, and of J. C. Smock vice president of the Maintenance of Way union, which numbers 300.00o men.
 shop Crafts Hold off.
 The shop crafts executive council met today. but took no action other than to call in the conference com mittee of 100. The committee, while having power to cail strike. also is expected to defer action by calling .n
 
 meeting Friday, When the final atti Jude of these groups probably will be made known.
 The maintenance of way executive counsel met only informally today, the formal meeting coming tomorrow when all of the members are expected 10 be present
 ssI cannot speak for my entire
 organization. but personally
 will say that we do not want q
 strike, thnt we would never
 strike on the wage question un-
 less forced to, and that we will
 not go into any waIkout with the
 brotherhoods unless we have def1-
 mite promises of co-OperatiOn
 which so far have not been forth
 coming from them," said d.. c.
 smock, maintenance of way pres-
 idenf, tonight.
 The labor board will go into con- ference with assurance of full sup port from every interested govern mental department, its members said tonight, following an executive ses- sion at which they went over the case. One member intimated that he believed the board had found a legal method of enforcing its ruling. Here- tofore the board has maintained that 1t had no power to carry out it's de- cisions, and unions and railroads each have charged the other with violat- ing the boards rulings. If legally empowered to enforce it's decrees the board probably could easily avert the walkout which is scheduled as a pro- test against the wage cut ordered by it.
 Board Fighting for Life
 Board members admitted that they realize the board really is fighting for it's life, and much of It's future depends on it's ability to handle the present situation.
 In connection with the possibility ot this conference averting a strike It was pointed out, however, that many railroads have announced pos itively that the public group proposal is impossible, in their opinion, while few labor leaders have expressed very warm approval of 1t.
 In this connection, Samuel O. Dunn, editor of Railway Age. issued a state ment today following conference with local rail heads, denouncing the plan as involving a complete sur render by the roads to the labor unions.
 Presidents of railroads centering here have not yet advertised Tor men to man the trains in case or a strike, as has been done in New fork, but this action also will be taken within a few days, it was said
 At the informal meeting numerous plans of combating the strike nave been discussed. but 1t was said Una no complete final method had yet been adopted. Recall of all men on pension, appeals to the public 10 heip tA a to the unions that men who do not return to work within a specified time after the walkout will be virtually black listed, and distribution of circulars among the men pointing out that they lose their seniority rights are some Of the steps contemplated, rail heads said.