New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-05
President Sees Big Step
Toward Settlement i'm
Promise of Both Sides
to Obey Labor Board
Cabinet Approves
Policy i'm Strikes
Agrees Seizure of Lines
and Coal Mines Would
Not Be Justified Now
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4.-President
Harding feels that there has been a
marked degree Of progress" toward
settling the railroad strike. it was
made known to-day at the White House
Acceptance by the railroads of the
first two Of his three proposals, and
acceptance by the shopmen Of all three
substantial advantage gained by the
government. Mr.. Harding holds it to
be of particular Importance that the
unions and the roads have agreed in
the future to abide by decisions Of the
Railroad Labor Board. So far as the
government is concerned, he thinks
that is the main point at issue.
Will Hold Them to Pledge
The President, it is understood, in
tends to hold both sides to what they
already have accepted.
Stressing Of Mr.. Hardirg's view on
these points at the White House ere
ated the impression that the Labor
Board may make the next move to end
the strike by proposing that both sides
submit the seniority question to the
board. However, the White House
would neither confirm nor deny that
this is the intention
The railroads, it is understood, were
willing to leave the seniority question
to the Labor Board when the peace
proposal was first suggested by the
pros Nv uorIsp~ heYu tnnE
the attitude that it should be settled
outright, 1t is@ said he did not consider
the question to be one Of any great
Importance Now that his offer has
failed because of the break over the
seniority issue new tack must be
taken. AS both sides have agreed to
abide by the decisions Of the board
the natural thing to do, it is said, is
to let the board pass on the seniority
issue.
In their reply to the President the
rail executives quoted the board as
uphold:ng their position on seniority.
that the railroads would object to leav-
ing the settlement of an issue in the
ka.ndc Of body which already is on
record as in favor of rewarding the
men who remained on the job and the
new men who took employment.
Considerable uneas;ness was caused
by word from Cleveland that the train
service brotherhoods had wired to
President Harding for a conference,
the subject of which is to be the bad
condition Of the locomotives and roll
ing stock of the railroads, resulting
from the shopmen's strike.
So far the four brotherhoods have
been neutral in the railroad strike
They have not actually been out on
strike since the days of President
Cleveland, though strike was mar
rowly averted in 1916
Peace Near on Southern Railway
Much more optimistic was the an
nouncement that representatives of the
six striking unions of shopmen would
meet officials of the Southern Railway
here tomorrow, with the possibility in
view of settling the strike on the basis
of the Harding proposals. AS explained
Southern Railway is in position to
accept the Harding proposal without
embarrassment. It is not member
Of the Railway Executives Association,
and so is not bound by the action of
that group in New York on Tuesday,
when it rejected the Presidents plan
for settlement.
Even more important, the Southern
Railway is not troubled at all by the
question of seniority, for the reason
that it has made no effort SO far to
operate it's shops since the strike was
called, and so has no force of new
mechanics to whom promises of steady
employment have been given. Were
the strikers to. return tomorrow on
the Harding plan therefore, they would
naturally take their old seniority.
tContnued' on mex. pags)