New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-06
Shopmen Believed Ready,
to Agree to Modification
of Seniority Ruling; Big
Four to Stick to Jobs
Rejected Proposal
Was Misunderstood
Brotherhoods Say Equip.
ment Is Failing, but In.
sist Workers Are Loyal
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5. - Hone
for a prompt settlement of the rail-
road shopmen's strike is again rum
ming high here tonight, for the first
time since Tuesday, when the rail-
road executives rejected the senior
ity feature of the Presidents COM
promise proposal.
Expectancy is centered on the re-
suits of conference among the
President and B. NJ. Jewell, head Of
the striking shop workers; W. Fl.
Johnston, of the machinists, and j.
P. Noonan, president of the Brother
hood of Electrical Workers. For one
hour at the White House they were
closeted in what is understood to
have been an earnest attempt to
agree on a new seniority proposal
which the railroad executives can ac-
cept without violating the pledges
they have made to the workers they
have taken on since the strike.
The need for some break in the dead
lock is becoming increasingly urgen:.
as is evidenced by the threat in Gin.
cinnati tonight by E. H. Fitzgerald,
president of the railroad clerks organ
ization, of advising members of his
union to quit "unless armed guards are
withdrawn from the railroad shops and
yards"
The complaint against armed guards
and the unsafety Of equipment made
by Mr.. Fitzgerald is in line with the
instructions sent yesterday from Cleve-
land by three of the big Four" train
service brotherhoods and to-day by she
machinists' union to their representa-
tives here, asking them to arrange an
immediate conference with President
Harding. The brotherhood chiefs made 4
ii plain that the use of bad ordera
equipment by the roads constituted a
ifitnace to their men which could not beN
tolerated. Spokesman for the three
brotherhoods and the machinists con-
ferred with President Harding to-day,
but said afterward that any thought Of
a sympathetic strike by them was abb
surd. They asserted that by law they
already have power to protect their
members by refusing to handle unsa1e
equipment. ne tHIcds VI tiS StcA n
to strike, however, creates an entirely
new situation.
Two Significant Phases
Two phases of the situation, regard
ed as especially significant. give rise
to the hope of settlement of the shop
mems strike. One is that there is much
evidence to show that the strike Of
ficials had the same misconception of
&Lo Oh, fbo
President made last week, and which
was accepted by the workers and re-
jected by the executives. as some of
the executives and all of the press had
prior to the actual publication of its
text.
The workers, it is declared on excel
lent authority, had believed right Up
to Tuesday that the men who had
remained loyalty at work, refusing to
go out on strike, would be put at the
| head Of the seniority list, that the men
| who had gone out on strike would take
| their places in seniority behind these
loyal men, and that the men who had
! been taken on since the strike start
ed would all be retained, but rank
ing in seniority behind the strikers.
Furthermore, the union officials,
after their conference at the White
House week before last and up to the
meeting of the railroad executives on
Tuesday, were willing to accept this
modification of the Presidents propo-
sal. Incidentally, at least one man who
has talked with the President declared
that the President still believes this
modification does not change the real
meaning Of his proposal at all.
| This is one of the most generally ac-
| cepted explanations of how it was that
the President and his advisers all be-
| lieved the railroad executives would
accept the Presidents proposal, and
| believed he had assurances TO that ef-
feet. 1t is an explanation, also. of the
report that the proposal was changed
between the conference of the Presi-
dent and Chairman Cuyler of the Ex-
ecutives' Association and the meeting
| of the executives at which the proposal
was rejected.
Strikers Sought Interview
The second phase of the situation
which carries so much hope tonight
! is that the officials of the strikers ap
| parently sought the interview with the
| President. Late yesterday afternoon
| when Mr.. Jewell and his associate:
were already on their way TO Washing
ton, it was denied at the White House
that any message had been sent TO Mr.
Jewell asking him to come here.
The assumption is, therefore, tha'
the union officials, having been on th'
point ten days ago Of accepting modi
fication of the plan, and having sough
conference with the President, vii
now be willing to take a proposition
4 similar to what they thought the frs
one was.
i The chief difficulty is that the rail
road executives have steered steadil,
toward an irreconcilable position sine,
their meeting on Tuesday. Believing
that they would have to fight to breal
the strike, some railroads which ha,
previously taken no steps toward fillini
: the places vacated by the strikers hav
J been taking on men and have bee
giving these new employees the mos
solemn assurances with regard to thei
, steady employment. Some have eve
! made fiat pledges that the men no,
out on strike would be taken back onl
as new employees.
; There is, consequently, the keenes
regret among some Of the President