The Adair County news., 1921-11-01
RAIL men AGREE
TO new MEETING
Both Sides Accept U. S. Bid to
Conference at Chicago
October 26.
HARDING BARS WAR RULE
President Keeps Settlement in Hands
of Federal Labor Board-W. G.
Lee Explains Causes of Pro-
posed Strike.

transportation crisis are brighter with
the agreement of rail executives and
brotherhood strike leaders to respond
to the summons of the labor board for
an open conference here next Wednes-
day on the wage and working rules
dispute
While brotherhood chiefs, In con-
ference in Cleveland, stated their
willingness to meet the executives
and the board, it was indicated they
had made no plans for suspending the
strike plans pending the negotiations.
S. NJ. FELTON,, president of the Chi
cagO Great Western and chairman at
the meeting of western executives here.
declared the executives would obey
not only the order to appear for the
conference, but also the boards order
that the situation remain unchanged
pending the conference and the boards
decision resulting from it,
Jewell Still Fights Strike.
B. NJ. Jewell, president of the rail-
way employees department of the
American Federation Of Labor and
head of the unions which have not
reached their decision, declared he
would do all in his power to avert
a walkOut
The labor boards conference order
placed the brOtherhOOdS in the posi-
ton of violating the boards orders
if the strike set for October 80 is made
effective. Technically the strike is in
opposition to the boards wage reduc-
ofo %
fective last July l, although the strike
order was not issued until the Asso-
citation of Railway Executives, meet
ing here last Friday, announced plans
for proposing a further wage cut of
10 per cent to the labor board.
While the transportation act Great
ing the labor board gave it no power
to enforce decisions, the boards sum-
mons for next Wednesdays confer
ence, it was announced, was with the
full backing of the administration at
Washington.
Harding Bars Wartime Rule.
Washington, Oct. 24.-With the rail-
roads and the labor unions, according
to every outward indication, preparing
for the general strike scheduled for
October 80, government circles cOntin-
ue to view the situation as "the af-
fair of the railroad labor board"
Without exception. those in authority
are agreed that the board, now in
session in Chicago, will be given OPP
portunity to try other avenues for
reaching the goal of a settlement be-
fore more drastic action is planned.
Decision against the present use Of
any of the wartime powers still avail
able to the government was reached
by the administration, although there
were well-grOunded reports that prom
inent members of the cabinet had in
dOrsed the proposals that President
Harding at least consider such a move
in the light Of possibility.
The attitude of the President, it
was learned, was that which he had
expressed in connection with the strike
repeatedly since the crisis first arose
that the labor board was the agency
constituted by law to handle the af-
fair and, moreover. as the country was
''now at peace" the use of war-emerg-
ency powers would be impOlitic.
Action of the labor board in citing
union leaders and railway executives
to appear before it was interpreted in
some quarters as the logical step of
that agency to establish its authority
IN the premises, since orders of the
board have been made the basis of
the controversy.
Attorney General Daugherty has
maintained silent as to the activity
of the legal branch of the government,
but was understood to be ready to
support the boards stand that it pos
sesses under the transportation &C
not only the powers of an arbitratIng
but a judicial tribunal.
Lee Explains Strike.
Cleveland, Oct. 24.-CauSes for the
strike of railway workers are enumer.
ated by w. G. Lee. president of the
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, in
a statement to the press.
The statement was issued, Mr. Lee
explained, because ''the public is rath.
er confused" as to its causes and
some believed the strike was for high
er wages. Three causes were ascribed
fby Mr.. Lee:
!. The wage reduction of July l.
2. Proposed further reductions.
8. Proposed elimination of rules
which would mean still further reduc
lions.
The three local brotherhOods' chiefs
Mr.. Lee of the trainmen, Warren
Stone of the Brotherhood of Locomo
tive Engineers and W. S. Carter o.
the Brotherhood of Firemen and En-
ginemen, while preparing to obey thu
citation to appear before the railroad
labor board in Chicago, Wednesday
were also going ahead with plans II
carry out the strike.