Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-26
FAILURE KILLS
PEACE HOPE IN
STRIKE PARLEY
Rail Chiefs Proposal
Rejected by Unions;
Want Finish Fight.
Executives Decline to
Accede to Terms of
Striking Shopmen.

New York, Aug. 25.-An attempt to
end the rail shopmen's strike by sep
arate settlements with individual roads
failed Friday and conferences were
broken off.
Daniel Willard, head of the Balti-
more & Ohio and head of the commit
tee of executives who Wednesday de-
cided to continue negotiations with the
mediation brotherhood chiefs to see if
separate settlement were possible,
and other rail heads, are preparing to
leave town.
In announcing the breaking off of
negotiations, David Williams, secre-
tary of the general strike committee
of the Metropolitan district, said:
Nothing else could have happened. If
they'll quit fussing around wen beat
these fellows"
One of the brotherhood leaders said
after the conference that the mediators
had made every possible effort to
bring about a settlement but that ne
gotiations had blown up. He indicated
there was no likelihood at present that
they would be resumed. While 1t was
said that negotiations had ended 'for
the present" it had not been officially
stated whether there was any prospect
of conferences being resumed in the
future.
The brotherhood men withdrew from
their conference shortly before noon to
return to labor headquarters for con-
ference with shop craft heads.
At labor headquarters, where it was
said the unions were prepared for a
fight to the finish. kilograms were be-
ing dispatched all over the country
calling upon strikers to renew the
struggle with redoubled vigor.
I'VE know where we stand now,"
said one leader.
Regarded as Big Concession
From unofficial sources it was
learned that the breakup came when
labor men rejected proposal advanced
by the roads, which was regarded by
executives as representing big con-
cession.
The break came after the brother
hood leaders, who have maintained
that the strike must end because the
public demanded it, had spent two
hours comforting with executives rep
resenting approximately 80 per cent
of the country's lines.
The executives statement, issued by
Daniel Willard, head of the Baltimore
& Ohio, added that the rights of loyal
employees would be protected.
A statement issued at labor head
quarters said that while not question
ing the integrity of the executives in
making their last proposal, the unions
could not accept it.
The shop craft leaders, in their re
ply to the executives, said that to ac-
cept the proposition of the minority of
railroads would destroy the effective
ness of the strike and that they would
consider it a desertion of the other
men.
Bert NJ. Jewell. spokesman for the
strikers, issued short statement In
which he said:
I'VE do not blame the more reason
able executives who have evidently
yielded to pressure. We believe the
next few weeks will enable them to
bring home to their hard shelled col
leagues their situation in its grim real
ity."
Mr.. Jewell added that the strikers
could and would fight for their maxi
mum terms and a nationwide settle
ment as long as could the road manage
ments.
fight" said Mr.. Jewell, "our victory
issues for which the strike was called
Executives Statement
The executives statement follows:
Following the general meeting of
the Association of Railway Execu-
tives held in New York the day before
yesterday, August %, a group of rail
road presidents representing 81 COM
panies with an aggregate of $4,000
miles of lines, continued its conference
with the leaders of the five train and
enginemen's brotherhoods who had
been acting as mediators for q further
discussion of the shop crafts. Con
ferences between a small committee
representing these railroads and the
brotherhood chiefs were held at the
Yale club, New York City, Wednesday
evening, during large part of Thurs
day and this forenoon.
'These railway executives, mindful
of the increasing demand for trans
pcrtation incident to the season of the
year, and anxious on that account, to
do everything that might be possible
and practicable to bring about a set
tlement of the existing controversy,
were hopeful that further discussion
might develop some plan or method
for settlement which would not re-
quire the sacrifice of principles
deemed fundamental by either side
party to the controversy.
Having in mind the normal re-
auirements of the carriers for men in
the shop crafts at this season of the
year, together with the increased re-
quirements resulting from the reduced
working force for nearly two months,
these companies. while unwilling to
agree to any program or method of
adjustment which affects the rights or
privileges of the shop crafts who did
not take part in the strike or those
who had been employed since July /.
were willing to pledge themselves to
find employment for all the striking
lContinued on Page Threel