New-York tribune., 1922-08-24
Cannot Yield ON Seniority
Issue and Keep Faith
With New Men, Union
L e a ers Are Told
Fight to Finish,
jewell Declares
Small Group of Carriers
Considers Individual
Dealing With Strikers

>
Hope Of settlement in the rail-
road strike appeared last night to
have been completely dltsipated.
The railway executives, after all
day conferences with the Big Four
mediators, unanimously decided to
stick by their refusal to take the
strikers hack with full seniority
rights.
The union chiefs asserted that un-
der the circumstances a settlement
was impossible, adding meaning
fully, "the responsibility for what
will happen now rests wholly upon
the railroad heads" In some quar-
ters this was taken to hold out
threat Of sympathetic strike action
by railway organizations other than
the shopmen.
No arrangements for any other
meetings or conference between the
two sides had been made at the con-
clusion of yesterdays negotiations
SO that relations between the strik-
ers and the railroads seemed to have
been completely severed. Barring
some unusual or urlooked-for devei-
opnent, the fight-to-a-fnish stage
predicted by the die-hard eysment of
railroad heads has set in.
Prepared for Eyentuality
The railroads appear to have pre-
pared for this eventaality, having an
nounced only a few days ago that there
would be sufficient cars available 10
move the Forthcoming harvest and that
there would be 80 per cent available Of
the number of cars necessary to move
coal when the mines are ready to ship
in large quantities.
The first stage III the negotiations
yesterday was meeting OF members
of the Association of Railway Execu-
tives at the Yale Club. About 100 OF
the 148 railroads in the association
were represented. with Thomas Dewitt
Cuyier, chairman of the association.
presiding. Despite the assertions of
union leaders predicting a split among
the railroad heads, the latter unaui-
mously adopted a resolution reaffirm-
ing their previous stand on the senior
ity question-that is, refusing TO re-
store the strikers TO tneTr jobs with
seniority rights unimpaired.
The committee Of eight executives
handling the matter for the railroads
then repaired during the afternoon to-
the Grand Central Terminal. where
"Big Four" mediators, to whcm they
made known the stand OF the railroads.
Begging the Question
The mediators, headed by Warren S.
Stone. grand chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers, replied with
a proposal that the railroads restore
the men to their jobs as of June 80.
the day of the inception of the strike.
without any mention of seniority
privileges. This, one OF the railway
executives explained. was begging the
question, as il would place the men in
the positions they held before the
walkout and would necessarily carry
with it all seniority privileges. The
proposal was rejected.
The mediators then put forward the
proposition that the various railroads
be permitted to make individual settle
ments with the men. It was the last
matter under discussion, when Hale
Holden, president Of the Chicago, Bur-
lington & Quincy Railroad, came ous
OF the meeting room and made this
announcement: d
al. a. g Il.
meeting Of the Association of Railway
Executives officers of q considerable
number of individual railroads re-
mained in further conference over the
proposition submitted by the brother
hood officers"
Mr.. Holden explained that there was
no dissent among these individual
lines from the action taken at the main
meeting, but that small group OF
lines continued TO discuss the proposal
that the various lines decide for them
selves.
| Have Permanent Employees
II was further explained that the
majority Of the lines had filled the
places of many strikers with permanent
employees and that, as the Railroad
Labor Board had decided the. striking
unicn workers had no rights, they were
unwilling to promise they would taks
back all those who walked out. Some
of the railroads, it was said, were II,
different condition and could repIaea
practically all the men who had gone
out.
1t was this group, II was explaineG,
who entertained the idea of dealing
separately with the striking employees.
The assent Of the association to the
action of this group of lines was given,
! it was stated, with the idea of testing
! the good, faith Of the union leaders
proposal. Negotiations on this point
probably will continue. 1t is the one
single thin thread shat still connects
| the two sides.
In this group are about twenty-five
railroads. but small portion Of the
/ las in the association, including the
Baltimore & Ohio, New York Central,
| Chicago, Burlington 6 Quincy, Erie,
Northern Pacific. Rock Island and Nor
| folk Southern.
Bert M. Jewell. head OF the Rgilway
Employees Department of the Ameria
can Federation of Labor, as spokes-
MGR fo~ &6n rk~;Er~~. 4 a