The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-17
New York City Now
Center of Negotiations
Seniority Issue Still
Bone of Contention
No Definite Plan of Set
\ cement Proposed, But
iHeral Proposals Be-
discussed

N1Ny0rk, Aug 17.-(By the Asso-
ciated Press .)-Represen of
the shopmen who were watching the
brotherhood conferences closely, in
dicated today that they expected the
conference not to suggest any COM
promise on the matter of seniority.
Several strike leaders indicated they
did not expect the brotherhoods to
suggest any patched up compromise
to the executives, nor that the broth
erhOods would promise to exert their
influence to get the shopmen to return
if seniority rights were not guaran-
teed the strikers.
New York, Aug. 17.-(By the AS
sociated Press) )-The scene of nego-
tiations toward peace on the railroads
again shifted from Washington to
New York today when carrier repre-
sentatives and union chiefs appeared
for a conference which will mark the
fifth attempt of an outside agency to
offer solution to the seniority riddle.
The labor board has failed in at
tempts to settle the strike by direct
negotiations and twice President
Harding has been unsuccessful in his
efforts as a volunteer mediator in the
controversy.
Today the "big four" brotherhoods,
"big brothers" of the seven striking
shopcrafts unions will seek through
their national officials to place before
a committee of the Association of
Railway Executives a proposal for
settlement which will be acceptable
to both sides.
Heading the employers is r. Dewitt
Cuyler, chairman of the national as
sociation with committee of nine
presidents. Warren S. Stone, national
head of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers was attended by chiefs
of the other big four running crafts.
Chiefs of the big four, arriving for
the meeting declared they were with
out a definite plan for solution of
the seniority question. They had
several half-formed proposals to make
but none which they were prepared
to make public.
Notwithstanding the knowledge that
the question they have to meet is the
seniority of the strikers there has
been no withdrawal from the opposi-
ton stands taken by the strikers and
the managers. The latter are de-
manding that the workmen return to
their jobs without seniority rights
bringing their request for reinstate-
ment before the railroad labor board
later. The union leaders declare
there will be so settlement without
restoration to full seniority of the
union members.
Hardins's Message Ready
Washington, Aug. 17.-President
Harding was understood today to have
completed the message he will deliver
to Congress on the country's industrial
Aituation, but no intimation was given
Il to just when he would deliver it,
1evious plans for presenting it today
" hying been, it was understood, held
In abeyance pending the rail strike
. Conference in New York. Results that
might come from that meeting, it was
intimated, might affect some phase
of the situation which Mr. Harding
was expected to deal with in his state
ment and he was represented as be-
ing desirious of Withholding it if there
were any possibilities that the union
chiefs and rail executives could show
prospects of composing their differ
ences.
In the meantime mediation activi.
ties which have been in progress here
for the past week were suspended
as most of the striking shopcrafts
representatives and heads of the big
four non-striking organizations who
have been enacting the roles of medi
ators were in New York to meet the
executives committee today.
l.. f. Sheppard, president of the
conductors organization. said that the
demand of the strikers for full senior
ity status in case of their return tt
work could not be modified and his
associates appeared to be in, full ac
cord with that view.