The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-07

Coal Conference.
 In the coal strike, Washington looked toward Cleveland today, whese a joint conference of striking to try for peace by mutual agree ment.
 In the rail strike, which the admin istration regards the key to the whole chaotic situation, all eyes were turn ed toward the White House where President Harding is once more in personal charge of relief in condi- lions. The belief prevailed that an innsportant White House step is inn pending, and. will be announced either late today or after tomorrow'S Cabin- ct meeting.
 B. Nj. Jewell. director of the Rail- way Shopmen's strike, and his asso- ciates, remained over in the capital today in anticipation of a renewed call for conference from the Presi- dent.
 The legislative agents of the pow ,e,rful Big Four Brotherhoods, who have Threatened a progressive sus- pension of operations if the ShopmenS strike is not settled speedily, nkeWlse remained over with the expectation that something. will be shorty 1orIh~ coming from MT. Harding.
 Threat of Another Wa1kOut.
 Unless a relief move of some sort is forthcoming, spokesmen for the brotherhoods asserted today. there will be a. walkout Of locomotive engineers firemen. conductors and trainmen this week. It will not be a sympathetic strike, they hastened to assure inquirers, but mechanical con- dition of the road has now reacneo the point, they asserted. where 1nd1- vidual engineers and operatives VIII be allowed to +.lay up'' because of the unsafe condition of the equipment. conditions become "danegerous and into1erable.'' it was said. will be lert in large degree to the individual en- ginemen.
 concern itself today with the con troversial question of whether rail- road rolling stock is in deplorab1y dangerous condition Under an unan- imous consent agreement, the Senate was exected to take up and pass the HarriSOn-king resolution, calling upon the Interstate Commerce Com | mission for an immediate report on the present condition of locomotive power throughout the country.
 One Senator, just returned to Washington, from a state west of the Mississippi, informs his colleagues at sonal observation the roads are experiencing considerable difficulty with their locomotives. Coming through Ohio. he said, 1t was neces- within the borders of the state. And this, he said, was on a road suppos- edly least affected by the strike.
 Cleveland, Ohio. Aug. "A second attempt to settle the nationwide strike in the coal industry of the United States is under way here today with representatives of every field in the central competitive region, compris- ing Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and West ern Pennsylvania, and some outside interests represented as we'll as the full strength of the United Mine Workers policy committee, consisting of 142 members, representing union coal miners in all sections of the United States who have been on strike - since March 31.
 On the eve of the assembling of the joint conference, which went into ses- sion at 10 o'clock this morning, opti- mistic expressions of the outcome were voiced by John l.. Lewis, presi- dent of the United Mine Workers and coal operators with with headquarters here who had taken prominent part in the effort to re-eStabliSh peace.
 'I believe we will reach an agree ment, but, of course, I cannot fore cast the exact terms,'' President Lewis told the International News Service Similar expressions were made by prominent operators here.
 Situation In Chicago.
 Chicago, Aug. 7-Leading figures 1T the railway shopmen's strike were away from Chicago today and thi center appeared to be in the doldrums while the next peace move was belns formulated. B. M. Jewell, head of ths railway employees department of tn, American Federation of Labor, witt other strike leaders was in Washing ton.
 Ben W. Hooper, chairman of thu United States Railroad Labor Boar; was within easy call on short vaca ton. Scattered incidents of disorde marked the early part of the sixtl week of the shopmen's strike A pas senger train on the western of Ala bama, enroute from Atlanta to Mont gomery, was fired on by alleged strik - sympathizers, according to report from Montgomery No persons wer Injured. W. s. McLana, car foreman in the Illinois Central shops at Birm ingham, Ala, was kidnapped by arm ed men blindfolded and taken b automobile to a wood near Cardiff Ala, where he was badly beaten wit hickory sticks. State authorities Tennessee were Investigating a fire c supposed incendiary origin which de stroyed the freight station of tn Louisville and Nashville railroad an twenty cars in the Knoxville yard: The loss was estimated at $500,000.
 Twentieth Week of