The evening world., 1922-08-19

Some of the executives are OF the
opinion that their committee made a
tactical mistake in consenting to call
meeting of all the executives to
consider a plan put up by the medi-
ators. II would seem that all propo-
sitions looking tolan agreement have
come from the union side.
When the executives meet here on
Wednesday, at the Yale Club, it will
be up to them to accept the strikers
offer or turn it down-at least, the
union leaders believe that to be the
case. The union men think they have
scored tactical victory.
1t may be said that the raiiroad
executives have not agreed to retain
the seniority of the strikers and the
strikers have not asked the railroads
that their seniority be retained. n
the question of wages can be settled,
the seniority question will take care
of itself
The situation is complicated by the
fact that the railroads in the East.
with II flooded labor market, have
been able to replace from 60 to 20
per cent of the strikers, while west
of Chicago and south of Washington
the machine shops and repair shops
of the railroads generally are closed
tight as a drum, The railroad exc
cutives of the East assert they have
won the strike The strikers assert
they have won IN the West and South
From unauthorized sources comes
the report that the committee of ex-
ccutives has agreed TO consider a plan
by which seniority would be taken care
of under a gentlemen's agreement.
The strike leaders grin when they
hear this.
Under this agreement neither side
will score a clean cut victory, because
the men will return at the very same
wages against which they struck
They will do so. however, with the
understanding that an immediate ap-
pliCatiOn shall be made for a rehear-
ing OF the wage question by the Rail
way Labor Board with a view to OBJ
tanning for the men something mid
way between the old scale and the
new one.
In other words, il was said to-day,
the men will get what was offered
them in the first peace terms pro
posed by President Harding, which
they were willing to accept but which
the roads rejected
The call for the meeting Of eXecu-
tivos next week devolyes upon +. De
Witt Cuyler. and it is assumed from
the decision of his committee to cal!
the other executives from all over the
country that they approve of the plan
and believe the others will.
One of the union leaders said
"The whole matter is simple nov
The roads and the unions understand
where the other stands. The men
want 70 go back TO work under the
terms of July 81, and the roads want
them back. The dispute over senior
| ity, which never was a strike issue
and should never have arisen. is the
i only stumbling block. Yet ii is easy
of settlement and the unions are try
| ing TO show how to dispose OF the
seniority matter without going into
| finish fight"
Instead OF las ~ until late -. tuc
evening. as hac been expected In
event of anything resembling a dead
| lock the gathering broke up at about
s o'clock. About two hours before
| that time the five mediators. Warren
| s. stone OF the engineers. L. z. Shep-
pard OF the conductors; w. II
Doak. representing President Lee
OF the tralnmen;, L, II. Rob
ertson Of the fremen and T. {.
Cashen OF the switchmen left the as
| sociation rooms TO go 10 the HotS