The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-06
(By Associated Press,

CHICAGO, July 6.-The strike of
railway shopmen assumed a more con-
clllatory aspect today, the sixth since
the nationwide walkout and feeling be-
came more general in rail circles that
the last "a hours had shown a marked
trend toward peace, despite increased
disorders at scattered points
1t was believed that yesterdays ex.
change of letters between Ben W
Hooper chairman of the United States
railroad labor board and Bert N.
Jewell, head of the railway employees
department of the American Fedora
tion of Labor probably opened the way
to negotiations for an early settlement
of the controversy.
Promising Indication.
JEWELS statement that the shop
crafts ARE willing to confer with any
body authorized by the railroads to
bring PEACE proposals. was accepted
as promising indication of a speedy
return to normal conditions in the rail
road shops. Mr.. Jewell said he neith-
| er included nor excluded anybody but
that if the labor board came with A
definite proposition he would not hes
itate TO consider it.
| The statement was made in the face
of the repeated contention of the rail
roads that the shopmen's strike is not
against the carriers but against the
government and therefore a matter TO
be settled before the labor board. the
government tribunal.
Chairman Hooper asserted that the
labor board was protected the inter
ests of the striking shopmen, even
while they have been calling the
board names
| Explaining his failure to answer last
Fridays summons to appear at a Joint
conference before the board Mr.. Jew
ell said the summons came too late
to avert the walkout set for Saturdav
and that his appearance would onl:
have caused confusion in the ranks
of the shopcrafts. who had their or
ders to strike
Harbneer of Peace.
/ Another harbinger of peace in the
statement by Chairman Hooper. was
that number of railroads which had
been farming out shop work to con-
tractors were ready to abolish the
contract system, which proved to be
the main issue in the shopmen's strike
J according to returns in the strike re-
, ferendum. Although the vote to
strike in protest against the $50, 0,000.-
600 wage reduction of July 1 was de-
clared to be Overwhelming, Mr. Jewel!
answered that the question of protest
ing against the contracting of labor
polled the heaviest strike vote of the
three propositions put up TO the shop
men.
: Fifty additional wage adjustment
! cases, A of which apply TO clerks. and
not included in recent decisions. were
set for hearing by the labor board
today.
. Another conference between D. w
: Helt, president of the signalmen, and
w. L. McMenimen, labor member of
, the board, who met yesterday, was in
prospect today It was Mr.. McMeni-
, men and Chairman Hooper who sue
cessfully intervened in the threatened
strike of maintenance of way en-
ployes by mediations July with E
T F. Cradle, president of the mainte-
/, nance men. These same two board
members were the guiding spirits in
; leading the way TO peace in the
r threatened general rail strike last Oc-
tober, and most of the hopes in the
present crisis apparently are banked
on them.
Advertise for Men
Meanwhile the railroads generally
n were tuf CI lAoiAS III " AuhC TIC
j places of the striking shopmen, and
strikers were reported at many points
:, to be drifting back in uncertain num-
!. bers to their old jobs. This reported
: back current occurred in the face OF
|, repeated assertions by shop crafts
leaders that the strike was virtually
: 100 per cent effective.
y The Chicago and Alton, on whose
ll;nec Soroo of the most serious dis0r-
{ ders of the strike have occurred. con-
tinued to employ new men at the en-
n ployment office which the railroad
) opened in Chicago yesterday. The Al
/ ton shops were the scenes of disorders
at Slater, Mo, and Bloomington. III.
e At both places local authorities called
:, for troops.
d Despite the agreement of their pres
l. ident, E F. Cradle, and members of
T. his executive committee to withhold
strike orders, maintenance men at var
rious points were reported TO be join
ing the striking shopmen.
81 With the exceptions Of the Slater
and Bloomington disorders on the Al
ton. the most serious disturbances OF
!. the strike occurred in the south Al
y Algiers across the Mississippi from
New Orleans. clashes occurred be
, tween shopmen and guards for the
:. South Pacific. One man was shot
= At Nashville, Tenn, striking ma