Evening star., 1922-07-14
-Trackmen May Join
Strike-Held Back
With Difficulty.
WALKOUT MAY END
ON II RAILROADS.
Shop Craft Official Says
National Agreement
Possible in 2 Days.
By the Associa ted Press.

BY the Associated Press
CHICAGO, July 14.-Strike threats
by maintenance of way employees.
overshadowed the last ten days by
the shopmen's strike, broke out again
today, bringing the rail strike TO a
new crisis as it neared the end of
It's second week. Fresh outbreaks
or violence, notably in Texas. Okla
homa and Missouri; President Hard
ing's determined steps to keep the
mails moving. and informal negotia-
lions for settlement of the shop
mems strike on seventeen roads in
the northwest were among other i'm
portant developments of the last
twenty four hours.
Pressure by many of his general
chairman upon E. F. Cradle, presi-
dent of the United Brotherhood of
Maintenance of Way Employees and
Railway Shop Laborers. pushed the
common labor problem to the front
again. Mr.. CRADLES action in with
holding strike orders after mainte-
nance of way employees voted to join
the walkout. did not please many of
the organizations general chairmen.
who passed on to their chief the per-
sistent demands of the rank and file
for concerted action.
Mr.. Cradle arrived in Chicago while
threats to disregard his refusal to
join the walkout' came from within
his organization. The general chair
men, he asserted. had no authority to
call strike. and he indicated an in
tention to remain firm in his refusal
to, sanction strike.
Midnight Conference Held.
The maintenance of way mems chief
declared that no especial Significance
was attached to his midnight confer
ence last night with B. NJ. Jewell, the
shopmens strike leader. Mr.. Cradle
stopped in Chicago on his return from
Kansas City after conferences with
his chairmen there and asserted that
ne mad no further grievances at pres
ent to take before the United States
Railroad Labor Board. mediations by
whose Chairman. Ben w. HOOVER. and
w. L. McMenfmen, one Of the three
labor members, prevented the threat
ened July 1 waikout by maintenance
men.
Mr.. Cradle admitted that he was
with dinicuity holding his men in
who reluctantly remafned at work
when the shepmen walked on their
Jobs July /, since have Joined the
strike. -
The new crisis caused by threats
from the maintenance men arrived as
peace moves to end the shopmen's
strike had apparently slowed up ma
terfally. except for conferences at st.
Paul, " hich lent the only hopeful air
to the situation.
Nortkwest Farley Gives Hone.
The initial st. Paul conferences be-
tween P. A. Henning. chairman of the
Federated Shop Crafts of the North
western District. and rail officials,
brought no definite results, but both
sides admitted that negotiations had
advanced to- stage that gave prom
q mi NJ thn
the seventeen roads Of the northwest
ern group. Mr.. Henning went SO far
as to assert that he believed 1t was
entirely possible to settle the strike
On national basis within forty-efght
Hours. Before entering the st. Paul
negotiations. Mr.. Henning conferred
with Mr.. Jewell. who had asserted
that 1t was upon a national basis
only. and through direct negotiations
with the roads. that the shopmen's
strike would be ended.
Chairman Hooper of the Labor
Board. who announced formulation of
new plans for ending the strike, was
closely watched for his next move
for peace.
Disturbances Continue, /
Meanwhile disturbances in connec-
tion with the strike continued.
State troops guarded every ap-
proach to the properties of the Mis-
souri, Pacific railroad at Poplar BIuff.
Mo-, today. The city was quiet and
reports that a mob of several hundred
striking shopmen and sympathizers
from Hoxie, Ark, was marching
on the town to prevent the opera
ton Of trains were said to be un-
founded afe\r investigation.
, 1t was le1rned from a reliable
source that the railroad had brought
in strikebreakers and planned to re-
sumo work today at the shops which
have been closed as result of the
strike.
Two hundred and fifty state troops
mobilized at Sedalia. Mo-, for a week
were under sealed orders to entrain
for service early today. presumably
In connection with the railroad
strike.
Destination Of the militiamen could
not be learned. but it was said they
probably would be sent to Poplar
Bluff to reinforce the four COM
panies from st. Louis already there.
In, Texas. which became a focus of
interest when Gov. Men expressed re-
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