Middletown transcript., 1922-07-22
FOR END OF
STRIKE seen
Settlement Freely Expressed
By Both Sides
ARMED TRUCE PREVAILS
Nearing Agreement-on Some Issues
The Opposing Sides Have
Come To Common
Ground.

Chicago.-A veil of silence descend
ed like blanket over the railway
strike situation Sunday as both rail.
road heads and strike leaders turned
hopeful eyes toward the momentous
developments the new week was ex.
pected to bring forth.
The bitterness which has marked
the progress Of the walkout at times
during the past two weeks seemed to
have been succeeded by a peace al.
most approaching an understanding.
The hurting of verbal challenges,
claims and counter-claims, ultimatums
and defiances apparently had ended
through exhaustion or the hope of an
early agreement.
Railway executives who declared
their willingness to attend any meet
ing called by the United States Rail-
road Labor Board with view to ef-
fecting a settlement that would not
nullify, but would uphold and carry
out the Boards decisions" spent the
holiday away from their offices and in
seclusion.
B. NJ. Jewell, leader OF the striking
shopmen, visiting his almost deserted
headquarters for a short time only to
run through his mail and kilograms.
He read the railroad executives state
ment with quiet grin, but refused to
comment on it. There will be moth.
ing over the weekend" he said
Il can't say a word, son-not a
word" Ben Hooper. chairman of the
Labor Board, sighed wearily. throw
Ing his arms across the shoulder of
the reporter, who had found him
alone in the offices of the Board.
Despite the silence of the leaders,
with accompanying rumors of a tacit
armistice or truce to allow fuller
consideration of points brought out
during the week at mediation confer
ences, hopes OF an early settlement
were expressed freely in both railway
and labor quarters, although no tangi-
BILE basis for these expectations was
given in any case.
One of the factors most often quoted
to justify belief that the drift was
toward peace, despite the failure last
week of Mr.. Hoover's efforts to bring
the labor leaders and the executives
together, was the statement of r. A.
Henning, general chairman of the
Federated Shops Crafts of the North
west, that only the refusal of Eastern
roads to agree to reinstate striking
shop crafts workers with their full
seniority rights is preventing a settle
ment of the strike, so far as the North
western roads are concerned.
The railroads throughout, it was de-
clared, have insisted that their men
return to work as one of the first steps
toward peace, and the belief was ex-
pressed that the restoration of the
rights sought would not alone prove
great stumbling block in the way of
full settlement. In this connection a
member of the Labor Board asserted
that the roads had TO large extent
stopped recruiting men to replace the
strikers.
On the other question at issue
outside contracting for shop work,
modification of certain rules and work
ing agreements, the establishment of
conciliation boards and wages-it was
declared that most of the roads had
already agreed to abolishing outside
contracting as ordered by the Labor
Board, and to establish early the con-
ciliation boards under the Federal
Transportation Act Thus, but two
questions, it was asserted, were now
at issue-rules and wages-both of
which might again be brought before
the Labor Board for decision on the
demand of the men for rehearing
In the case of the Maintenance of
Way men, 1t was pointed out, the
Board averted walkout by agreeing
to an immediate consideration of ap-
peals for wage increases on the ground
that Government figures showed that
the cost of living had increased since
1t rendered the wage reduction deci-
sion, which became effective on July
!, simultaneously with the calling of
the shopmens strike.