New-York tribune., 1922-08-14

Cuyler, chairman of the Association OF
Railway Executives, follows:
''At the meeting Of the railroads in
New York on Friday, August II, 1922,
they. with practical unanimity, re-
sponded favorably TO the Presidents
call that the seniority question be
left to the United States Railroad
Labor Board.
"Approximately three-quarters of
the mileage responded favorably to
his call that all striking shop crafts
men be re-employed, and the balance
that all such strikers be re-employed
as far as practicable.
"The resolutions acted on by the
meeting have been submitted to the
President.
Message Sent TO Harding
"The following resolutions were
adopted by roads having a mileage
of 151 1924 miles:
"'The telegram Of the President
dated August T. 1929, having been
considered, and in response TO his
call to the carriers and tho striking
workmen the following resolutions
were adopted:
Resolved, That the proposal for
the President to the striking work
men to return to work and to the
carriers to assign them to work,
leaving the disputed question of
seniority to the Labor Board under
the provisions OF the transportation
act for decision, be accepted, under
standing as we do that such accept
ance involves no surrender of the
>lo. a. aS,t tf1y
adopted by the carriers August /,
1922, but recognizes that the proposal
Of the President invokes the jurisA
transportation act to pass upon the
ployees who have remained at work
and those new employees who have
since accepted service (the rights Of
both of which classes to seniority
we feel bound in justice to defend
before the Labor Board) with the
strikers who may enter the gervice
under the proposal Of the President.
Violence Bar to Old Jobs
Therefore, be it further resolved:
Al All former employees who
have not been guilty Of proven vio-
lence against the employees or prop
erty of the railroad shall be assigned
to their former positions where va
caacies exist.
"(B) Where the positions they
formerly held have been filed other
employment of the same class will be
found for such employees as have
committed no acts of proven violence
against the employees or the prop
erty Of the railroad.
"'(C) If, after these men have
been assigned, questions of seniority
arise with them which cannot be set
tied locally, they will be referred to
the United States Railroad Labor
Board for review.
Further resolved, That the strike
Is to be called off with the under
standing and agreement by all par
ties that no intimidations nor oppres-
sions shall be practiced or permitted
as against any of the employees who
have remained or have taken service,
or against those who may return to
service under the proposal Of the
President
Minority Offers Report
"The following minority report was
supported by roads having mileage
of 57,222 miles:
Resolved, That the chairman be
authorized to reply to the Presidents
telegram of August that the rail
roads represented at this meeting are
willing that:
"'(A) All former employees who
have not been guilty of violence
against the employees or the prop
erty of the railroads shall be as
slgnod to their former positions
where vacancies exist
"'(B) If, after these men have been
assigned, questions Of their seniority
arise which cannot be settled locally,
they shall be referred to the United
States Railroad Labor Board for re-
view.
"'(C) In agreeing to submit ques-
tions of seniority as provided above
to the United States Railroad Labor
Board for review it is understood
that neither the railroads nor The
employees shall be deprived of the
right to review by the courts of such
decisions If they affect agreements
IN existence between any railroad
and its employees
With the hope of settIernent de-
pending entirely on events SO far un
disclosed, the most interesting phase
of the problem tonight is with tht
Big Four" brotherhoods. Their posi-
tion has been an unusual one from ths
first. No one seems to doubt that
should thoy throw their support to tn,
striking shopmen the roads would bt
more or less helpless. They have
denied positively that they contem
plate such step, but their Intervention
as would be mediators, and the fac
that their leaders are in Washingto,
at all, has aroused some apprehension
as to what may happen.
Roads Fcresee No Trouble
The executives profess confidence or
this score. They assert that the great
majority Of the brotherhood men vii
remain 100 per cent faithful to thei,
contracts. They assert that thew de
not want any engineers or firemen tt
take out defective equipment, and o,
the other hand, they don't believe ther,
VIII be more than handful of in
stances where enginemen and Are
men will quibble about such cues
tion.
such instances as the strandinp a
trains on the Santa Fe, they say, indi
cate conspiracy, and the Attornev Cen
eral has already indicated that h,
would prosecute the offenders when de-
lays Of the mails resulted.
Leaders of the shopmen, on the othe
hand, are doing everything in tha;:
power, to induce President Harding I,
use the force of the government t,
make the railroads give in. In lin,
with this policy their refusal to aiv,
out their. reply to the Presidents pro
gosal is in absolute sympathy with tn,
Presidents request Of yesterday tha
every one remain silent and not so,
which might make the settle
ment more difficult.
The railroad oyonr+;r.