New-York tribune., 1922-02-24
y National Coal
Sts'ikcBelieyctl
Likely April |.
Lewis Calls for Referendum
Vote, while Omly Barrier
Is Dwind!ing Hope of
/ c Il cral Intervention
Rail " aII>-Out Unlikely
Hope OF Conference With
Operators Nanisl.co: {. =.
Board Meets NIarcI, g
,,.. car, -

'roH G Stog Corrcsaondc.f
CHICAGO. Ncb. 23. Officials Of the
railroad and mine workers unions spent
to-day in taking stock as 10 tho situa-
tion in which they now and themselves
as the result Of their "aasocatiou OF Or
eanizstions" and tho parts played by
them IN the formation of 4 farmer
iahor-progressvc political coalition.
Chief among tho items they found in
their inventory vas a centering Of ind
catons that virtually the only remaining
barricr to Tie calling Of rational coal
strike on April ], at least in the btu
mnous ieids, is tic question of Federal
irterventioa In view of authoritative
assertions that the government has en-
barAcd on a "r-a -atchful waiting" policy,
this nov appears in the light Of for
lorN hope.
Because Of the refusal Of the Penn
sylyania operators to meet the miners
and tho lcft-handod acceptancos Of tho
tive held. it is believed by President
Workers. that the last possibility for
the Cleveland conference, sought by
him, has vanished.
Vote on Strike Called
Because Of this belief, he issued an
order to-day calling for referendum
strike vote liz accordance with the de-
cision Of the miners Indianapolis con-
vcntion TO leave the question Of sus-
pension OF work. in the event Of failure
Of the operators and the union 10 reach
q new agreement, to tho final Judgment
Of the lneu in the mines. That they will
vote for strike under the circum-
stances appears as a foregonc conclu-
sion. II il expected that the vote will
be completed by March 10.
The item Of second Importance dis
covered in the inventory, from the
standpoint Of the brotherhoods at
least. was q notation OF the hearings
Of the United States Railroad Labor
Board on applications OF the railroads
Tor wage decreases and the counter ap-
plcations OF tho unions for increases.
which Will begin March s.
Despite the "mutuality OF interests
et forth in the railroad and mine
workers memorandum and their crea-
ton OF q Joint executive committee.
there are strong indications that the
board does not feel that the task ahead
Of it has been complicated il the
slightest. and there was a disposition
in some quarters not TO treat the "as-
sociation" seriously.
It was announced by the board to-
day that il will hear the applications
"iN The same order in which it has d.
posed Of OF is disposirg Of the dis
putcs as TO the rules and working con-
ditions Of the various classes Of en-
pioycos."
Shop Crafts First
The first group to come before the
board, according to to-day's announce
nlcNt. viii be the federated shop crafts.
Then, in the order named, VIII come
the maintenance of way employees.
clerical and terminal workers, signal
men, train dispatchers, tiremen and
oilers. express company employees, sd
pervisory mechanical employees and
telegraphcrs.
Although it was learned that the
miners Will watch The boards activities
with q sympathetic eye for the brother
hoods, and that some Of the brother
hood heads have expressed hemselves
as willing to 90 considerably further
with the miners in the Association OF
organizations" than has yet appeared
on the surface. observers regard the
possibility Of transportation strike
as extremely remote.
''rhe railroad workers are beginning;
TO recognize thay wages arc dependent
Oh economic laws" it was said
'While it is true that some Of the
brothcrhood; appear to favor radical
action. the fact remains that they are
dominated by the Big Four, which
carry millions Of dollars in Insurance
and which have other interests which
would be jccpaTdized by strike.