The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-07-17
U. S. HOPES
FOR PEACE
IN STRIKES
Officials Believe Rail and
Coal Tieups Will
End Soon.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.l }

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus)
Washington D. c., July IL
Sparring for position and trying to
get the best bargain they can the
various parties to the railroad and
coal strikes are convinced that they
must make peace soon or run coun-
ter to drastic action by the fed
eral government.
The general opinion here is that
the coal strike will be settled along
with the railroad strike before
many days have elapsed. No such
impression of hopeless deadlock as
usually forecasts long strike can
be obtained by talking with any Of
the principals or their spokesmen.
The nearness Of an agreement In
the rail strike is such that the pres
ident has hesitated to use federal
troops lest the situation may be
aggravated and peace prevented.
The coal miners are aching to mod
ify their refusal to arbitration and
the government has been trying
ever since Saturday to prevail upon
the coal operators to take the nee
essary action which will make ar
bitration possible. @
Operators Block Peace.
The single obstacle in the coal
controversy has been the division
among the operators. The miners
before acceps:Sg arbitration want
TO be convinced that the decision
will apply to all coal operators or
at least a substantial majority such
as will fix a scale for the industry.
Because assurances to this eject
have been lacking the coal miners
hesitate. They are eager to have
the arbitration cover non-union as
we'll as union mines, so that when
the award is made the non-union
miners will see the benefits Of the
union and join it, thus making a
material increase in the member
ship strength of the miners union
for future bargaining. Many Of the
coal operators who run non-union
mines refuse to come into the fold
and accept the jurisdiction Of the
arbitration tribunal. Efforts to get
as many as possible are proceed
ling. however, and when so or go
per cent of the total tonnage OF
coal is represented by the opera
tors who do accept the arbitration
the strike will come to an immedi-
alto end
Rail Peace Just Missed.
AS for the rail strike confidence
that it will be settled rests largely
upon the fact that the peace nego-
tiations on Friday came within ar
inch Of success. At that time only
a dispute as to whether the mer
who went out would forfeit thcil
rights of seniority of service was
holding back a settlement. Tht
western railroads are ready Il
grant this point but eastern execu
itives are refusing. 1t is difficult tt
imagine, however, that the eastern
roads will insist on a course which
will prolong the present strike ant
add to its proportions.
Presidential action in the raj
strike is bound to be a corrolator,
OF any settlement reached. TIL.
president has not himself been a!
fully appreciative of the dangers O
permitting certain railroad execu
tives to ignore the decisions of th'
United States railway labor board
He is being urged to take som,
step which will assure the railwa.
employees that the government doe
not have one standard for employe.
and quite another for employers
The railroads have resorted t,
court action and other dilator,
moves which have had the effect o
preventing the labor board from
exercising jurisdiction over certain
phases OF working rules and Iabo
standards. This process has cause,
many Of the railway employees lead
ers to lose confidence in the labo
board. Mr.. Harding Is aware tina
irrespective Of the details of tn
settlement of the present rail strike
something must be done by the chic
executive to restore the confidence
Of the workmen in the power an,
authority Of the labor board as
applies to railroad managers. It
!, a question Of mutual confidenc
;again with mistrust over abstrac
questions rather than concret
| grievances which is tieing up trans
Iportation and threatening empt
coal hins