The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-08-10
Railway Executives Refuse to
Accept Presidents Plan as
to Seniority.
STRIKE SETTLEMENT FAILS
Federal and state Control Of Coal Die
tribution Gets Under way-chieaao
Traction Workers Quit-Results
OF Some Interesting Primaries
France Warns Germany.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARp


temporarily halted again last week
when the plan Of President Harding
failed of complete acceptance. Opt
mlstic prophets of immediate peace
were COMPOUNDED.
As expressed by himself, the Pres
ldent's plan comprised these stipula
tions:
First-Railway managers and work
men are TO agree to recognize the
validity Of all decisions OF the rail
road labor board and to faithfully
carry out such decisions as contem
plated by the law.
Second-The carriers will withdraw
all lawsuits growing out 81 the strike
and railroad labor board decisions
which have been involved In the strike
may be taken. In the exercise of recog
nlzed rights. by either party to rail
road labor board tor rehearing.
Third-All employees now on strike
to be returned to work and to thelr
former positions with seniority aud
other rights unimpalred. The repre-
sentatives Of the carriers and the rep
resentatives Of the organizations espe.
cially agree that there will be no dis
elimination by either party against
the employees who did or did not
strike.
The railway executives were the
first to act on these proposals. They
accepted the first agreed TO the see
ond with the understanding that the
strike be first called of and that the
representatives of the strikers pledge
themselves and the strikers against
violence In any form against the men
now az work and the property of the
carriers declared II was impossible
for them to agree tu the first sentence
Of the third proposal.
Having placed themselves In a
by the executives, the representatives
If the striking shopmen met In Chica
go and voted, though with expressed
reluctance. TO accept the Presitent's
proposals. This was conditioned up
on recognition OF the union interpre
ration Of the plan, which, among other
things, would require the Pennsyl
vania railroad TO abandon Its fight for
the open shop. The shop crafts also
insist on the establishment of a ma.
tional board Of adjustment which
would relieve the labor board Of all
disputes except those involving wages
Some roads have agreed to regional
boards, but probably all OF them are
opposed to one national board which
would prescribe uniform conditions re
gardless of needs OF various localities
Seemingly the rail- executives are In
dead earnest In their refusal TO aban.
don their stand on seniority rights
They notified their local emplOye
and other workers that they would be
protected and guaranteed permanent
employment, and went ahead with the
task of filling the places of the strik-
ers. In New York II was said their
decisive stand resulted In rush of
applicants for jobs Public opinion Is
widely divided concerning this attitude
Of the railway executives. Many per
sons feel that IL Is only Justice TO the
men who have remained at work and
those who have responded 60 the call
for workers to take mp the tools the
strikers laid down. Those who sym
pathize strongly with the demands ~
organized labor take the position that
the action Of the railway heads Is u
part of campaign To destroy rhc
unions.
II was predicted In Washington tina
President Harding would do nothing
more In the matter ~ present. giNiu-
me railroads an opportunity Z" prov,
that they could operate effectiNel,
without the services of the striking
shopnen. Roads unable ~ do 50, par
ticularly carriers reaching into the
producing bltuminous fields. may he
taken over and operated by the fed
eral government