The Topeka state journal., 1922-07-18
OPTIMISM SEEMS
UPPERMOST NOW
in RAIL STRIKE
Other Secret Conferences Held
With Labor Board, Report.
Hope That Settlement Is To Be
Assured SOOn>Is Expressed.
HARDING TO TELL PLAN SOON
Communication of Federal Aid
in Rail Strike Tonight.
Mail Trains Are Being Kept In
Order Nearly Everywhere.
HARDING TO TELL PLAN SOON
Communication of Federal Aid
in Rail Strike Tonight.
STRIKE AT A GLANCE

President Harding announced that
he would issue a communication to
the governors of all states today. OUT
lining a coal and rail strike policy.
Maintenance of way union brought
it's first submission for reopening
wage hearings to the railroad labor
board, rnder the agreement to with
hold strike call If wages were recon-
sidered.
State troops were dispatched to
waycross, Ca, as the result of dis
turbances there yesterday.
E. F. Cradle and ]. c. smock.
maintenance brotherhood heads. con-
ferred with railroad labor board mem
bers.
Washington, July 1s.-President
Harding will issue a communication
today to the governors of the states
outlining federal policy in the coal
and rail strike situations.
In the meantime no statement con-
cerning the governments attitude will
be made public, it was said at noon at
the White House.
The message will be directed par
| ticularly to the chief executives of the
coal producing states, where the gov
ernment considers the complications
in the coal and rail matters nave De-
come most serious.
Reports received by Postmaster
General Work today from Lovila, Ia,
stated that the interference of strik-
ers who sought to prevent trsinmen
from clearing the wreckage of a Bur-
hngton passenger train which jumped
the track at Lovila had ceased and
that wreeikage crews had been per
mftted to build a temporary track
around the wreck, thus allowing re-
sumption of train service.
The Wabash system reports that its
stock of coal Is being depleted rap
idly, the inspector said.
The st. Louis Omaha line, which
has suffered interruption to its serv-
ice thru washouts, will resume full
service today, the department was in
formed. Branches OF the Burlington
railroad in northwest Missouri were
Superintendent of Mail Service
Gaines at Fort Worth, Tex, tele-
graphed the department. that paseen-
ger train service between Colmesneill
and Trinity had been superseded by
motor trucks service with no delay to
the movement of the mails. A num-
Der of trains operating between Dali
las. San Antonio and Waco have been
discontinued due to disturbances by
strikers.
A number of trains operating in
Georgia also have been Withdrawn to
conserve power.
Chicago. July 1s.-The strike of
railway shopmen was believed today
to be moving swiftly toward a climax
as the result of secret parleys held
during the last twenty-four hours.
Conferences from which a plan OF
settlement is expected to emerge are
still in progress, according to au-
thentic reports.
Say "Definite Peace Soon"
Officials of the United States rail-
way labor board and of the shopmen's
union declined to confirm reports that
evolved. Persistent reports that a
settlement appeared closer than at
any time since the walkout began,
however, were not denied.
According to these reports. the plan
involves an agreement by the railroads
to restore all seniority rights of the
strikers and to abolish the practice OF
farming out" shop work to shops not
owned by the railroads.
The unions. for their part, viii agree
to an immediate return to work with
the assurance that rehearing on the
question of reduced wage scales be
granted.
Cradle to Confer Today.
It is understood conferences be-
tween w. L. McMenimen, labor mem-
ber of the board. and Bert NJ. Jewell,
leader of the strikers, have established
this tentative basis for an agreement
McMenimen and Ben w. Hooper.
chairman of the board, also are un-
derstood to have held parleys with
railway executives.
Z. F. Cradle, president of the
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employees. is in Chicago today. fresh
from Washington where he had con-
ference with President Harding. CRADLE
is scheduled to confer today with
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