Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-18
NATIONAL STRIKE
Of RAIL WORKERS ]
DUE ON OCTOBER 80
U, S, Rail Board Plan for
Rail Cut Rejected by Engi-
neers Smaller Unions
May Not Strike Il

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. IT,
Moves to prevent a nationwide rail-
road strike, and preparations to
meet it if it materializes, were made
today.
With assurances from high WASH
ington Officials that railroads would
be kept running. President Harding
had Under consideration the calling
of a conference of railroad men and
executives to avert the strike.
When union leaders in Cleveland
| were informed of the conferences
plan, they said they would answer
the call to attend if President Hal.-
ding sent it out.
At the same time from the head
quarters in Chicago and Cleveland
the railroad union men went ahead
with strike preparations, such as
sending out of the formal call for
the walkout beginning progressiye-
ly on October 80. In Chicago a
meeting of unions other than the
four big brotherhoods was planned.
Throughout the country today
| mayors and governors prepared for
measures to prevent any shortage
of food and fuel because of the
strike.
"The mails will be moved" Post
master General Hays declared today
| in the first official statement on the
| rail strike from government OF
| ficial
Despite advices to the contrary
| from Chicago coal men, a poll OF
large cities indicated there was
enough of a coal supply to run for
several weeks at least.
Food stocks generally are not low,
although many of the smaller cities
without large storage fac1htles
| might be inconvenienced.
Mobilization of motor trucks to
| haul food in case they are needed
was the plan hit upon in practically
every city. Kansas City was prepar-
| ing to use airplanes.
| 1t is not believed, however, that
| the hauling of milk and other per-
| ishables will be interfered with.
| Industries in every section of the
| country will be affected by strike,
according to a survey. Just how
many men will be thrown out or
work, if the strike is long continued
could not be estimated.
Plans Not Framed
A feeling undoubtedly prevades
official Washington that the cali
| ed strike will not materialize, on an
extensive scale. but at the same
time the government realizes the
transportation lines must be kept
| in operation, whatever happens, be-
cause the very existence of millions,
Of people depends upon them. M
| The federal government has as
yet framed no, program OF action.
| Whether the government would
seize the roads in case the strike call
| is not rescinded and the walkout
begins, no prominent official would
say.
It was stated authoritativelys
however, that governmental opera
| ton Of the railroads will not be re-
sorted to until all other efforts to
avert the threatened strike and to
keep the transportation lines open
have failed.
Authority to operate the roads in
case of a grave emergency is given
the president by the Esch- Cummins
law, but it was indicated that under
present plans, the administration
would not use this authority under
any circumstances until an actual
tie-up comes.
is a tremendous task which the gov
evrnment is loathe to assume, re-
membering the costly wartime expe-
rience.
President Harding, it was learn
ed, is considering calling confer
ence of rail executives and union
headers here this week. Decision
regarding this conference may be
reached today.
The railroad executives, officials
believe, hold the key that will avert
the strike. They must agree to q
rate reduction before attemuting to
obtain any more wage cuts. Wages
have been cut once, since the war
peak period, while there has been no
gneral drop in rates.
Commission Powerless
The interstate commerce commits
sion is powerless to make rate re-
auctions, because Of the guaranty
provisions of the Esch-Cummins
law, which require that rates must
be kept on a level that will yield the
roads six per cent. The present
yield is about that.
Thus, the administrations hope
for averting the strike is that the
roads make temporary sacrifice in
earnings and accept rate reductions
before asking wage cuts.
Official Washington's interest in
the impending national railway
strike centered today in the reaction
of railway executives and labor lead
ers to the proposal of the public
group Of the railroad labor board
Of zone feasible plan" to prevent
the tie-up of the country's trans
portation systems.
In brief the board proposed:
1. That the railroads Immediately
put into effect freight reductions
equivalent to the wage reductions
authorized last July.
2. That requests for further
wage decreases Ibe withdrawn.
8. That the employees withdraw
their strike order pending action of
the board upon any request for
further wage reductions which the
carriers subsequently might file.
Federal action in connection with
the strike had been confined up to
today to the conferences arranged
by President Harding between the
public group of tne labor board
and the interstate commerce commits
sion, the impression being that the
president intended to leave the mat
ter temporarily in the hands of the
two agencies created by law to SUI
pervise railroad transportation.
There was some expectation. how
ever, of statement from Postmas.
ter General Hays in reply to the an
nouncement that mail trains would
not be given special consideration
in case the strike developed.
Plans for Mail
Both Mr.. Hays and Attorney Gen.
eral Daugherty have been busy, it
was learned, in surveying the sit
uation generally with view to
laying reports before the cabinet at