New-York tribune., 1922-09-10
Cuyler Insists
Railroads Still
Stand as Unit
Denies Report of Spills at
Secret Chicago Meeting
and Declares the Strike
Has Practically Collapsed
Loyal Men to Keep Jobs
Unions Appeal to Harding
and Miller for Inquiry
Into Causes of Wrecks

That the railroad executives official
ly consider the shipments strike to be
practically ended and that there has
not been the slightest break in the
executives solidarity as a result of the
secret meeting held in Chicago on Fri
day, is the positive assertion made by
t. De Witt Cuyler, chairman of the AS
sociation of Railway Executives. The
executives stand just as soIidly on the
platform of August 23 and are Just as
determined to protect the seniority
rights of the strike breakers now as
they were before the Chicago meeting
that was called together by Daniel
Willard, of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail
road, Mr.. Cuyler's statement says.
The Cuyler statement that the shop
mems strike is over found an echo yes-
terday in railroad offices. The echoes
said that the strike certainly would
collapse soon, and that the policy COM
mittee of the shopcrafts unions intend
ed to permit such men as could to re-
turn to their former employment. This
would be done, it was explained, to
prevent the breaking up Of the unions.
Secret Negotiations Fail
AT the same time, railroad men not
of the official class declared that the
Chicago meeting had been failure,
and that secret negotiations looking to
the return of the striking shopmen car
ried on by Mr., Willard for about three
weeks had come to naught. These dec
larations We're based upon confidential
messages said to have come out of Chi.
cago.
The executives statement follows,
hn1, M
of the Association of Railway Execu-
tives, states. that the reports emanat-
ing from Chicago calculated to create
the impression in the public mind that
there is division in the ranks OF the
executives are absolutely incorrect lie
reiterates his statement Of September
that the executives stand absolutely
on the platform adopted by them at
their meeting August 23
$50 far as large majority Of the
roads are concerned the strike is over,
and on great majority of the others
is making steady progress in that direcs
tion. The meetings in Chicago, which
have been referred to between certain
executives, are not to be understood as
in any way deviating from the policy
decided on August %.
Loyal Men Protected
1T was thought by these executives
that possibly some settlement might be
made adhering to the platform of Au-
gust % and yet modified in certain de-
tails that would not initiate against
the principles for which the roads
stand. The public can rest assured
that the roads propose to protect the
loyal men in their employ. both old and
new, in their seniority rights"
h.
reports attending it were referred to-,
strike Ecommittee, Mr.. Williams de-
clared the shopmen are still on strike.
and that they would be found remain
ing on strike when the meeting to-
morrow had closed. AS to the rumors
of the collapse of the strike, he mere
~ remarked that one shouldn't be-
lIeve all that is printed in the news
papers.
1T is asserted further at the shop
mems strike headquarters in the Hotel
Continental, that the strike committee
would receive such support in the
policy committee "as to make the prob
lem OF assuring separate agreements
non-helpful to strikers in the New
York district an impossibility. 1t was
also said that President B. M. JewelPs
separate agreement plan would be
defeated to-day.
Telegrams 'Aele sent to President
Harding and to Governor Miller by the
central strike committee yesterday de-
manding that the Woodlawn derail-
ment and the recent accidents on the
Long Island Railroad be investigated.
The wrecks were apparently caused.
the kilograms said, by the use of
faulty equipment, allowed on the rail-
roads through lax inspection" Rail-
road officers responsible must be pun
lshed, the demands continued, as acci-
dents would increase if. they continued
to employ "unskilled strike breakers. -
The kilograms were signed by John J.
Dowd, chairman.
William F. Kehoe, secretary of the
Central Trades and Labor Council, an
nounced that contributions toward the
fund for the benefit of the railroad
strikers were coming in rapidly. Seven
hundred and fifty thousand union
workers have been asked to contribute
a days pay each.
On Thursday 4,124 men were added
to the shop forces of the railroads. the
Association of Railway Executives
said, which is fewer than were taken
on on Wednesday and also lower than
last weeks average.
ROO EiShawv,,av, n,.