New-York tribune., 1922-09-17
Line and Men Disagree
at Conference Called to
End Strike; Announce
III Will Not Be Resumed
Roads Statement
Blanes Unionists
Asserts They Tried to
Inject Questions Not
Mentioned i'm Agreement

The New York Central Railroad Of
ficials and the representatives Of the
striking shopmen failed to come to anv
an all-day conference it was announced
that no settlement had been reached.
that negotiations for all the lines Of
the New York Central system had been
broken off and that no further con-
farences would be held.
Shortly after the breaking up of the
conference an official statement was
issued by the railroad, which said:
"The New York Central lines were
ready and willing to abide by and full
fill the letter and spirit of the memo
randum of agreement reached at Balti-
more. The representatives of the shop
crafts, however, attempted to interject
questions not mentioned in the text
and clearly outside of the agreement
insisting that these matters be in
cluded. To this the railroad manage
ment could not agree"
In Session Five Hours
The, conferees were in session for
nearly five hours. They met at 1O:3O
in the morning, and, with the excep-
ton of luncheon adjournment, did not
break up until 5:45 in the afternoon.
Ine failure to agree, after the opti-
mlstlc predictions as to the outcome
MADE as a result of the agreements ar
rived at with the Big -Four brother
hoods announced yesterday, caused con-
siderable disappointment in both rail
road and union circles.
Ihe chairmen of the six federated
shopcrafts unions represented their
organizations at the conference with
the railroad officials The conference.
as were those with the Big Four broth
erhoods, was called under the lndivid-
uai agreement plan adopted by the
poicy committee at the meeting ip
chicago. 1t was believed before the
meeting began that it would result in
strike settlement, MS had the meetings
under this plan with the other unions.
q teeling shared in by President A. H,
Smith, Of the railroad system; as indi-
Gated by his statements on Friday.
When the conference adjourned for
luncheon at 11:55, however, there were
no signs of accord on the questions
and it was said that there would be no
announcement until the end of the
day. At 2:30 o'clock the union men and
officials were again in conference, ad~
journing at 6:45 with the announce
ment of the failure to agree.
1t was learned yesterday that the
agreement between the tranmen and
conductors and the New York Central
had been signed and the copies de-
llvered to the parties concerned.
Won't Ignore Rail Board
There was some comment in railroad
circles yesterday on the stories in the
morning papers to the effect that the
various lines would ignore" the Rail
road Labor Board and deal direct with
their employees in future. following
the lead of the New York Central and
the Pennsylvania. The word "ignore"
was too blunt, if not too strong, to fit
the situation, railroad officials said.
Signs of unrest in ordinarily calm
labor circles, such as the railway clerks.
had been an incentive to seeking The
speediest possible settlement they
could obtain with the employees, even
though they had to pay slight pre-
MUM therefor, it was pointed out
The question of eliminating time
and -a-half for overtime has been pend
ing since the spring of 1921, it was ex-
planned, without any action by the
board. Another matter awaiting de-
cision is that of the contracts between
the New York Central and the Western
Union Telegraph Company as to
whether or not joint employees come
under the Transportation act.
The board has already given hear
ings on reconsideration of the claims
of the maintenance of way men. 1t
will rehear the signalmen September
25, and the dispatchers, September g.
Eehearings have also been granted for
revision of the rules for engineers and
firemen.
Nevertheless, the railroads feel that
the Labor Board has not given prompt
consideration to pending requests and
have become impatient at the delay.
There is constant labor agitation and
railroad officials are forced to give at
tention to these matters when they
would prefer to be devoting their time
to railroad business. A business boom
is in prospect, it was also stated, and
the railroads are anxious to be ready
to meet it.