Evening star., 1922-07-06
Hooper and Jewel Open Way
to Settlement in Ex-
change of Letters.
so WAGE ADJUSTMENTS
CASES COME UP TODAY
Sisnalmen's Chief to Confer With
Labor Board Member-Roads
Report Many at Work.
BY the Associated Press.


CHICAGO. July 6.-The strike of
railway shopmen assumed more con-
cIlatory aspect today, the sixth day
since the nation wide walk out, and
feeling became more general in rail
circles that the last twenty-four hours
had shown d marked trend toward
peace, despite increased disorders at
scattered points.
1t was believed that yesterdays ex-
change of letters between Ben w.
Hooper. chairman of the United States
Railroad Labor Board and Bert NJ
Jewell. head of the railway employees
department of the American Fedora
tion of Labor. probably opened the
way to negotiations for an early set
tlement of the controversy.
Jewell's statement that the shop
crafts ARE willing to confer with any
body authorized by the railroads to
bring peace proposals was accepted
as promising indication OF
speedy return to normal conditions in
the railroad shops. Mr.. Jewell says
he neither included nor excluded any
body. but that if the Labor Board
came with a definite proposition he
would not hesitate to consider 1t.
of the repeated contention by the
railroads that the shopmen's strike is
not against the carriers. but against
the government. and therefore mat
ter to be settled before the Labor
Board, the government tribunal.
Board Protecting Strikers.
Chairman Hooper asserted that the
labor board has been protecting the
interests of the striking shopmen.
while they have been calling the
board names.
Explaining his failure to answer
last Fridays summons to appear at
Joint conference before the board. Mr..
Jewell said the summons came too
late to avert the walkout set for Sat
urday and that his appearance would
only have caused confusion in the
ranks of the shop crafts who had their
orders to strike.
Another harbinger of peace in the
statement by Chairman Hooper was
that number of railroads which had
been farming out shop work to con-
tractors were ready to abolish the
contract system, which proved to be
the main issue in the shopmen's strike,
according to returns in the strike ref
erendum.
Fl1Cy aOQltlOudl wage
cases, forty-four of which apply to
clerks and not included In recent de-
cisions were set for hearing by the
labor board today.
Confer on signal Men.
Another conference between D. w.
Helt. president of the railroad signal
men. and w. L. Meme enimen. labor
member Of the board which met yes
terday. was in prospect today.
Meanwhile the railroads generally
were advertising for men to take the
places of the striking shopmen and
strikers were reported at many points
to be drifting hack in uncertain num-
bers to their old jobs. This reported
back-current continued in the face
of repeated assertions by shop craft
leaders that the strike was virtually
100 per cent effective.
The Chicago nnd Alton, upon whose
lines some of the most serious dis
orders of the strike have occurred,
continued to employ new men at the
employment office which the railroad
opened yesterday in Chicago. Alton
shops were the scenes of disorders at
Slater, Mo. At both places local au
thorities called for troops.
Some Trainmen Quit.
Despite the agreement of their
president, L. F. Cradle. and members
of mis- executive committee to with
hold strike orders. maintenance men
1t various potats were reported to be
joining striking shopmen.
With the exception of the Slater
and Bloomington disorders on the
Alton. the most serious disturbances
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