The Colorado statesman., 1922-07-22

don some of their mail trains. In
case the proclamation were ignored,
the administration laid plans for the
institution of civil and criminal pro
ceedings against individual offenders
and the unions. 1t was understood
that for the present the various states
would be relied on for protection of
workers and trains but If any failed,
the federal troops would be called out,
and possibly soldiers and marines
would be placed on the mail trains.
The President Is determined to back
up the federal labor board to the full
extent of his powers.
On Thursday, at the direction of
the President, Secretary Weeks or
dered troops held in readiness to pro-
tect the lines of the Missouri, Kansas
and Texas road in Texas, where OPP
eratlons were impeded by lawlessness
and violence. This was in response
to an appeal from the receiver Of the
railway who was appointed by Unit
ed States court.
Announcement was made by the
Post Office department that If every
mail train should cease to run, 1t
would continue to transport mails by
motortrucks and airplanes. The de-
partment has Sc planes, and the gov
ernment owns thousands of trucks
belonging to various departments.
In response to the Presidents proc
lamation the executive council of the
shopcrafts unions sent him a long
telegram setting forth the grievances
A.. .,,t1- IoIN IAn nt.1
by implication, charged with partial
lty, and the railroads were accused
of specific violations of the law and
of dlsregardlng the orders of the
board. The workers, 1t was asserted
have been and are ready to negotiate
with the railway executives and
struck only as last resort. 1--WE re-
spectfully insist" continued the tele-
gram, that no interruption of COM
merce or Interference with the mails
is caused by direct or unlawful acts
of organized employees. Such inter-
ruption and Interference results in
evitably from attempts Of railroads to
operate with insufficient. incompetent
and unskilled workmen."
At the close of the week all that
prevented an immediate strike of the
maintenance of way men was the
determination of their president, e.
f. Cradle, to keep them at work for
the present. A majority of their gen
eral chairmen had requested that they
be called together to plan for walk
out. The stationary firemen and oilers
decided to quit work on July II.
HICAGO was facing an almost
" complete tieup of its local trans
portation facilities. The surface street
car men already had voted to strike
against a wage reduction of 20 cents
an hour, and on Thursday the en-
ployees of the elevated roads also
voted for a walkout. The unions
agreed on n joint policy and plan of
action, and there was hope that fur
ther negotiations might avert strike.
The situation was complicated by
local politics and the desire of some
of the city officials that the munich
pality should take over the surface
roads and operate them.
THUS far only partial success has
Il been achieved by President Hard
ing in his attempt to end the coal
strike. The anthracite operators sub
mitted what he regarded as COM
plete acceptance of his plan of arbi-
tration, but the bituminous operators
and the miners union had not at this
writing sent in their reply. Govern
ment officials thought both sides were
eyading an immediate decision with
the intention of rejecting the settle
ment plan If public opinion seemed
to approve such a course. Two con-
ditions to the anthracite operators
acceptance were that a separate COM
mission consider wage scales, and
that the commission render its de-
cision by August 10, they agreeing to
pay in the meantime the scale of
March II.
DREMIER MACKENZIE, KING of
L Canada, went to Washington last
week and submitted to Secretary of
State Hughes an interesting and, on
the face of it, reasonable proposal.
This was that the Rush-Bagot agree
ment between Great Britain and the
United States concerning the Great
Lakes and the other boundary waters
between this country and Canada be
modernized and made permanent. The
agreement, which has stood for 1Oo
wears and Is terminable on six
months notice, limits the armament
ON the lakes and the st. Lawrence to