Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-22
RAIL BOARD ORDERS
JOINT CONF FERENCE
Of RAIL FACTIONS
Army Reserves Available for
Duty Until Peace Is Pro-
muIgated - First Confer
ence Fails s "


sociated. Press.eThe United States
railroad labor board today, backed
by all the authority which the gov
eminent can place at its disposal.
called the railroads Of the country
and the five big unions to appear
next week and solemnly warned the
unions not to strike until the board
has heard their grievances and rem
dered decision.
The boards action virtually means
that thefe will be no strike October
80, unless the unions should choose
to openly defy the government, FOR
it is hardly probable that a decision
will be rendered by the board before
that date. a'1
The hearing will be open to- the
press and public, and with more
than 200 railroads and approximate
ly thirty unions involved, either di.
rectly or Indirectly, probably will
last several days.
While the transportation act gives
the board no power to enforce its
decisions, it is understood that last
weeks conferences between Presl
dent Harding, members Of the board.
Attorney General Daugherty, Secre'
tary of War Weeks and the inter
state commerce commission, placed
all the departments of government
in accord as to what shall be done
If either side moves in open defiancd
Of the labor board.
Should the unions refuse to abide
by the boards order, it hsa been
pointed out, the board, under the
law, will issue a statement to the
public to that effect, and the presi-
dent and his advisers can then pro-
coed to take such action as they con-
slider necessary.
The board also said that in so far
as the threatened strike is the re-
suit of a dispute between the car
riers and their employees concerning
wages, rules and working conditions,
this board hereby assumes jurisdic-
ton of said dispute on the statutory
ground that it is likely substantial
ly to interrupt commerce."
Meanwhile both parties to the dis
pute were warned to maintain the
status quo on the properties Of the
carriers. The action by the board
followed a conference which began
at 10 o'clock. Board members de-
clined to say whether they had been
in touch with Washington by long
distance telephone during the morn
ing.
Thursdays Conference
The conferences yesterday be-
tween the railroad labor board ana
the five union heads--Warren 5.
Stone, of the engineers; l.. E. Shep-
pard, of the conductors; 7. G. Cash.
en-, Of the switchmen; w. G. Lee, or
the trainmen, and w. S. Carter, OF
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT no results eX-
cept an admission from the board
that the first effort Of a government
al agency to avert strike had fallSa
completely and statements from the
unions chiefs that the meeting re-
suited only in "the labor board being
convinced that the unions really
mean to strike"
A report of the conference was
stelegraphed to President Harding
at Washington, and both the labor
leaders and the board members
seemed inclined to feel that the
next step toward alleviating the
crisis would be taken there. Sew
eral railroad union men said III
looks as if only the government it.
self could prevent walkout."
Mr.. Stone, Mr.. Lee and Mr.. Carter
were in Cleveland today meeting IN
formally with their executive COM
mittees to complete strike plans,
while Mr.. Cashen was directing az
tivities in the switchmen's union
from Buffalo, and Mr.. Sheppard, in
Cedar Rapids, was rounding out the
final details for his organization. The
executive committees of. all hVe
unions will meet in Cleveland Mon
day. y
On the carriers part, heads OF
western roads met in Chicago today
in a conference announced for the
purpose of forming plans to combat
a strike. while similar meeting OF
southwestern roads was held In 81
Louis. At each meeting road presi'
dents were quoted as saying that
their plans would be rushed at the
utmost speed as a result of the fail
ure Of the labor board conference
to brighten the grave situation.
parture for their organization head
quarters, expressed resentment over
the meeting with the board. Coming
here in the belief that the board
would present a concrete plan of set
Element, they claimed that the board
members had presented nothing but
words" in trying to avert a walk
out, merely trying to dissuade them
from carrying out the strike, and
presenting nothing which they con-
sidered as even a tangible working
basis toward clearing up the stu
alton, The union chiefs steadfastly
maintained, it was said, they could
not POSTPONE the scheduled walk-out
Point of Agreement
The conference, it was said, de-
veloped only one point on which
the cOnferees were in entire una
nimity, although all of the discus.
sions were in an amiable manner.
This point was that both groups in
the meeting are convinced that they
are Fighting for their lives" The
labor chiefs told the board that the
lives Of the unions depended on the
handling of this crisis, while mem
oers of the board frankly admitted,
it was said, that the future Of the
board also may be at stake.
With what was considered by
many as the governments first eff
fort to prevent the strike, a failure,
attention today again turned to the
eleven STANDARD" unions which
still are astride the fence with no
definite indication as to which way
hey will jump. 800
These organizations holding the
balance Of manpower, through hav-
ng more than four-fifths of the coun.
RVS rail employees in their member
ship. have voted for strike in pro-
est OF the recent IL per cent wage
doAn..,.od Eraal not;car,