The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-08-18

Quarrel Seems Sure to Go to a
Finish Fight.
PRESIDENTS EFFORTS FAIL
Hope of Immediately Ending War Is
Blasted When Both Railroad Ex-
ecutives and Union Officials
Turn Down FINAL Proposal.

Washington, Aug 14.-Hope of inn
mediately ending the rail strike was
blasted here when the railroads and
the unions rejected President Hard
ing's third proposal for settlement.
After A days of mediation and nego-
tiation both sides declared there is
no possibility of arbitrating the ques-
ton of seniority and are prepared to
fight it out to finish.
But instead of having only the rail-
way shOpmen TO deal with the rail-
roads now have all of the railway
brOtherhOOds arrayed against them.
They will support the shOpmen on a
question that they declare to be the
life blood of unionism" and are quite
willing TO accept the def of the rail-
way executives for "a fight to a fin
ish."
There was hope that the two parties
might find q common ground for ar
bitrating their c;fferences. But when
the President had been told that his
proposal was untenable to the unions
and railroads alike, he telephoned off,
Gals that the ban of secrecy had been
lifted and they were at liberty to talk.
They revealed for the first time:
That neither party had at any time
remotely considered submitting their
differences to the railroad labor
board.
Adamson Act Peeves.
That the railroads are still chatting
under provisions of the Adamson act
and welcome an opportunity to test
their strength with labor unions.
That the rail unions are confident
the time is ripe for the government to
believe that this strike will demon
strate the necessity for it.
1t also was revealed that the Presi-
dent knew that neither party would
let the railroad labor board decide
seniority in full and last night offered
question be left to an impartial tribu-
nal. This tribunal was to be named.
The railroads objected to this and re-
fused to bulge from the position out
lined In their reply to the President.
The committee of executives de-
clared that they had no authority to
consider contemporaries and that
had to offer the men could not get
their positions back.
Roads Defy Unions.
"There is, only one real issue in
volved in this whole controversy" said
a spokesman for the railroads. tThe
striking shopmen must recognize the
Jurisdiction of the railroad labor
board. The board already has ruled
that If it's decisions are ignored by
the calling Of trike, the efforts on
the part of the strikers to disregard
the boards decisions and intimidate
the government anG the public will not
be successful
Railroad executives left immediate
ly for New York after making public
their refusal to accept the Presidents
proposal. They saw the President for
an hour during the morning.
Following this they went to the of
fee Of the executives here where it
was finally decided to make their de-
cision public. As the men filed from
the offices observers knew that the
truce plan had failed. T. Dewitt Guy
Ter, chairman Of the executives, who
has favored the Presidents plan,
showed plainly his disappointment.
Gen. W. w. Atterbury of the Pennsyl-
vania, who has 3een irreconcilable.
danced Jig while holding to the arm
of A 81. Smith of the New York Cen
trail, and then did fox trot up and
down the lobby.
"It's all over as far as / am con-
cerned," he said. tWe are going back
now and run our railroads"
The rail officials declared that the
rolling stock of the country is not In
the bad shape which the brotherhoods
declare it TO be- It was officially
stated by the railway executives that
they can operate the railroads for one
year with the equipment they have