Evening journal., 1922-08-02
R. STRIKERS
ACCEPTPLAN
OF HARDING'S
Ready to Go Back to Work
on Terms Rejected by
Employers
PRESIDENT TO
GIVE REPLY OUT


j. proposal. is preparing to place ful
responsibility upon the executive
for the continuance OF the strik
and its effect upon industry.
The letter OF the executives reject
ing HardiDg's proposal that senior
ity rights be restored to the striker
unimpalred has been received a
the White House and the Presiden
IS expected 10 make a sharp repl,
placing the blame for whatever new
situation develops on the executives
action
At the same time. the Presiden
will warn that he has uDchallenget
powers 10 protect the public inter
est which he will not hesitate tC
use if necessary.
Determined as he IS to protect
the public interests, drastic action
seems certain TO be taken unless
the dual strike situation soon clears
Seizure of the railroads. although
contemplated only as a last resort,
Is a possibility.
The opinion prevails In official
circles that the rail executives are
are privately expressed regarding
the outcome OF such a policy. Sam
uel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor. has
made. public telegnams from several
local labor councils asking a general
strike of all organized labor in sup
port OF the shOpmen. The big four
brotherhoods, who admittedly have
the power TO tieup the tFansporta-
tiOn systems almost overnight, are
not expected to stand idly by and
see all the 100000 striking union
shopmen replaced by strikebreak-
ers.
Gompers made the kilograms pub
lie without comment" He merely
said that they were examples of res
r olutions OF similar character. The
kilograms were from Omaha, Ne
braska; Council Bluffs Iowa; Knox
VILE. Tenn, and East ST. Louis, Ills.
The emphatic rejection OF the sem
iority clause came as distinct
shock 20 the President. II is be-
lieved that 7. Dewitt Cuyler,, head
OF the executives in his conference
with the President did not properly
gauge the sentiment OF the rail heads
and the executive was mislead into
believing his proposal would be ac-
cepted.
Harding viii make a public reply
to the executives. This may be held
up until after action by the ninety
officials of the shop craftmen's union
who have the compromise plan be-
fore them.
The refusal to accept President
Harding's plan. was contained in
this message. in part. telegraphed
to the White House last night:
Resolved. %, that we accept the
first recommendation OF the Presi-
dent reading as follows:
First railway managers and work
men are to agree TO recognize the
validity OF all decisions OF the Rail-
road Labor Board. and to faithful
ly carry out such decisions as con-
templated by the law. with under
standing that this Is not intended TO
preclude any party to a controversy
from proceeding by legal action TO
question the validity of any order
OF the board on the ground that jur-
isdiction and authority TO make the
order was not conferred by the
statutes creating the board and de-
.fning its authorities.
Cd That we accept the sec
ond proposal OF the President read |
ing as follows:
Second, The carriers will with
draw all law suits growing out OF
the strike, and railroad labor decl- |
sions which have been involved in /
the strike.
C3) That It is impossible TO
agree to the first sentence OF the |
third proposal OF the President. the
whole Of which reads as follows:
Third. All employees now on
strike to be returned TO work and
TO their former positions with SEMI
ority and other rights unimpaired.
The representatives of the carriers
and the representatives of the en-
ployes especially agree that there
will be no discrimination by either
party against the. employees who did
or did not strike.
THE railroad executives and
managers agree entirely with the
Presidents statement in his letter
that II is wholly unthinkabls that
the Railroad Labor Board can be
made a useful agency of the gov
ernment in maintaining Industrial
peace in the railway service. unless
employers and workers are both
prompt and unquestioning in their
acceptance Of its decisions
The decisions of the Railroad
Labor. Board were houted and de-
fed by the six organizations COM
prising the federated shop crafts;
the strike was called to take (
effect July l.. 1922. and even the
summons Of the board to appear
with the railroad executives before !
the labor board, after the strike 1
was called and before it took effect. {
was contemporary ignored by the {
leaders Of the strikers, who refused S
10 attend the hearing. Thereupon It 8
became the plain duty of the rail-
roads actively and vigorously to J
undertake to uphold the orderly {
processes for the adjustment OF in !
dustrial disputes contemplated by !
the statute creating the labor board. I
MANY men in the service refused }
10 join the strike and in so doing Q
we're assured of the seniority rights
lccruing to them and OF the perma-
nence Of their positions. On some :
important lines fifty percent or more
refused to join the strike. To these !
old loyal employees have been added I,
thousands of new men who were r
I'M n1oved and cOuld he Obfafned op1vl :.