New Britain herald., 1922-07-01
JEWELL REFUSEDT TO
 to TO CONFERENCE.
Deied Labor Board and Dodeed Subpoena Service
First Since 1920

Chicago. July 1. = (By Associated Press)-All hope of averting the na tion-wide strike of 100000 railwa, shopmen apparently had vanished to- day as the hour for the walkoht ap. preached. The cessation of work will mark the first general strike of any standard railroad union since the United States Railroad Labor board was created in 1920.
 Ten o'clock was the time set for the suspension of work in the strike call of union leaders Wednesday and re- ports from throughout the country in- dicated response would be general.
 Approximately 100000 shopmen-- cne-fourth of the entire number-are employees of railroad shops in Chica- go and environs.
 Jewell Defies Board
 B. M. Jewell, head of the railway employees department of the American n Federation of Labor. with officials of the various shop crafts dehed sum = mons to appear before the L. & Labor board in a last effort to avoid the strike, apparently had decided to re- main consistent with his ultimatum to the railroads last week.
 Jewell successfully avoided subpoe- na services during the night after the board issued writ calling upon him to appear at the close of the confer ence. Efforts to locate him were fruitless until after midnight when he was found at hotel where he had met with his chairman and considered hundreds of telegrams regarding the strike. He declined to comment on the situation. In his ultimatum Jewell told railroad executives tht the only possible avenue to peace was for the railroads to ignore the decis- ion of the labor board slashing SC 000,000 from the wages Of shopmen today and to restore rules governing overtime pay and working condi- tions along with an agreement to dis continue the system by which several roads farmed out work to contractors.
 Hooper rsia1Ies Jewell
 Declaring that ti.e ''pood was on Jewell's own head,' Zen W. Hooper, chairman of the labor beard, who led the way to q peaceful settlement of the threatened strike of trainmen last October, said Jewell's belated ap- pearance under subpoena could not at such a late hour result in any reversal of the strike order in time to prevent a suspension of work.
 Railway executives who answered the boards summons and appeared at the conference virtually removed one of the strike issues when, one by one, many of them whose roads had been following the practice announced that they would abolish the contract sys- tenn in their shops. The board in sev- eral cases brought by employees against the roads, ruled that the car riers were violating provisions of the transportation act in farming out work to the contractors
 Public Not Affected
 AS the strike loomed inevitable, railroad officials declared that the public would scarcely be aware of the walkout except through reading about it. Transportation would continue uninterrupted they asserted and in some certers it was indicated that shops would be operated on an open shop basis Definite word from head 1 quarters of the maintenance of way employees at Detroit early today that the track workers would remain at work until July 3rd, at least, pending conferences. left the shop crafts alone | in the walkout today. |
 \. Y. Central Plans
 In pledging itself to abolish the contract system the New York Central i made it's agreement only as means of avoiding a strike. Counsel for the roads asserted that the New York Central lines consider the practice legal
 Although eleventh hour efforts by the railroad labor beard to prevent a shopmen's strike apparently had failed, some hope of accomplishment towards forestalling strikes of other classes of railway workers was seen as a result of yesterdays conference.
 Three of the ten union chiefs who were summoned before the board put in their appearance when the meeting convened They were: F.. F. Grable, president of the maintenance Of way employees; E. H. Fitzgerald of the railway clerks and freight handlers and D. w. Helt, of the sgnalmen.
 Timothy Healy, head of the oilers and stationary engineers who refused to attend the meeting until served with a subpoena, issued at the same time the Jewell writ was ordered, said that 5000 of the 25,ooo members of his organization were voting strike ballots returning July 10.
 Delay in strike orders for mainten- snce of way employees brought hope that the labor board could avert walkout by the track men.
 With chairman Hooper as the guild ing genius and w. L. McNfenimen, one of the labor members of the board as the chairmans right hand man. hope was expressed in railroad circles today that MT. Grable could be persuaded against calling the track men out.