The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-18

been concluded with todays meeting.
 Anything regarding our report must come from the President" Chair man McChord said. and his remark was approved by Chairman Barton of the labor board.
 At the White House 1t was said fhere would be no statement on the | railroad strike tonight.
 An attitude of watchful prepara- ton characterized the activities of other governmental agencies in con nection with the strike. The depart ment of justice completed a survey of existing statutes and precedents to determine the scope Of federal au- thority under the circumstances, but the impression given by most off cials was that the government could not move except by mediation or nor al suasion, until the situation had as sumed a more concrete status. Evi- dence was still lacking as to basis for the expressed expectation on the part of some labor leaders that a De- tition for injunction would be inc next move by the government.
 Hays Is Busy
 Postmaster General Hays. whose department would feel first and most seriously the effects of the strike also was known to have obtaIned reports from his assistants as to. VI, ,,s and means of meeting any atfenpted Interference with the mails. Bv tele- phone he conferred with hAads of i'm portant postal districts as to the emergency facilities on hand or re- quired.
 The mails will be -r,o,,a,s Q, ..,, later.
 "A time may come for action I sincerely trust that 1t will not. If It does there will be action" At the conference between members or the labor board and the commerce comm ssion's voluminous statements on railroad pay roll and employment conditions were considered.
 Ihe conferees saw Attorney Gen. eral Dougherty at noon and then Mr. Dougherty lunched with the Presi- dent. The Attorney General, however, declined to discusst his interview with MT Harding, or one which he held Iater with Postmaster General Hays.
 Thom in Conference
 Aliord r. Thoms general counsel for the AssociaticH of Railway Ex- eSutiVes, was active during the day in conference with Chairman Cummins of the senate interstate commerce committee. Senator Cummins said, after the Conference, that Congress probably Would not take any action at this Hme. It would be impossible, he saH, for the legislative arm ot the Government to move until the exetutive had exhausted every ef- foT to avert @ strike.
 'The possibility of President Hard Ing summoning the chiefs of the rail- road brotherhoods to Washington for talk was sug ggested in several quarters, but the White House was si- lent on this point. While the joint conference of members of the labor board and the interstate commerce commission was continuing 1t was the general impression that President Harding would not take any other i line of intervention.
 Having before him the report of the conference. however, 1t was con- sidered not unlikely that this might include recommendat tions or sugges- tions which would require submis- sion to the union chiefs.
 Government officials, 1t was learned today, are paying close attention to the reaction of public opinion to the threatened paralysis of transporta- tion. In some quarters the opinion was expressed that the weight Of public opinion would be the deter mining factor in averting the strike or in bringing it to a speedy close if other efforts failed to avert it. 7