The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-21

After a conference of the IlVe rAll unions leaders who conferred with the labor board, it was announced that they were making reservations on a midnight train for Cleveland. The union chiefs refused to give any
 ssThere has been full and frank discussion of the situation" said statement given out by Ben W. Hooper, vice chairman of the board. ..The labor board and the brother hoods chiefs exchanged views in a perfectly pleasant way. The inter- view was beneficial, but we cannot say that any definite results were ob- tained."
 ssThe adjournment is final" Chair man R. M, Barton of the labor board, announced. "We do not plan any fur- ther conferences with the labor lead- CTS nor do we plan, at present, to call in the railroad presidents. cannot say what cur next step might be-"
 While the board members came Ou, of the afternoon session smiling and ta a JoviaI mood, they left the night meeting with solemn faces and re- fused to publicly discuss the session ---nside from the statements of Chair man Barton and Vice Chairman Hooper.
 
 Chicago October 20.-The first ef- fort by a governmental agency to avert the threatened rail strike brought no concrete results, the ini- ssfai conference between the Ilnited states labor board and presidents of live unions which have ordered a &aikout october 30 adjourning tenn oorarily when the board was not able 10 present a strike antidote accept able to railroad labor. The frs meeting between the two groups hell this afternoon was not final, how ever, for another conference was held tonight at which the board made new proposals, according to representa- lives of both sides, although no for nal statements were issued.
 The five union presidents de-
 parted from their organization
 headquarters tonight with the
 announcement thnt the plan for
 the proposed strike would go
 right ahead.
 "The situation is just as much. Of a guess now as it was when we went there," one union president said af- ter leaving the afternoon meeting while a labor board member remark ed that everyone is smiling and nc one seems downcast."
 The afternoon meeting was started with the labor board, which called the conference, presenting its plans for settlement of the difficulties. These were understood to be based on the public group announcement in Wash ington recently that the strike could be averted if the roads reduced rates temporarily, postponed attempts at further wage cuts and the unions accepted the recent 12 per cent cut authorized by the board.
 The union presidents in the confer- ence--w. G. Lee of the trainmen, W $. Carter of the firemen. L. F. Shep herd of the conductors, Warren s stone of the engineers. c. T. Casne n of the switehmen--were said to have stated that the unions were fighting for their lives" and that any settle- ment would have to be one which would do away with what they termed the prevalent impression among the men that they were being ''gypped."
 They found nothing the labor board proposed, it wns said, which would warrant a cancellation of of the strike order, and were quoted as frankly telling the cOnference fhe strike could not be postponed, and that only . settlement would skeep # from tnking place ns scheduJfGs
 The board. after a two and Nhsif hours discussion requested that thc conference be adjournedlu until 7:00 ?. m. and immediately dispatched a se- ries of telegrams to Washington out ligning the discussions The board session generallysfuns until 6;00 D. m. put today's ended at 80 D. m.