The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-08-12

WSHlkSI TON, aug. lS"
(Ry the Associated Press)-
Heads Of the seven railroad
labor organizations now on
| strike were declared by one OF
their chief officials today after
final conference to have de-
cided to reject completely the
last strike settlement proposal
put forward by President
Harding.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 12.-An-
swer of the striking railway shop
men to the Presidents final" pro
posal for settlement was ex-
pected to emerge today from the
general conference of railroad
labor here With it, according 10
!warrenrS. Stone, chief OF the en-
| gine brotherhood and presid-
ing officer at the conference, VIII
come statement to the pubic
] explaining the attitude of the non
striking rail unions and the pro
tests walkouts OF train service
! employees over the country which
Ihave further complicated the
situation.
Presumably tie shipments an
swer will be transmitted prompt
rly to the White House where a
! committee of railway executives
/ was due during the day to present
the Conditional acceptance" OF
the Presidents plan voted yester-
day by the general meeting Of
railroad heads in New York With
both communications before him,
president Harding will be in a
position to decide the course the
government will pursue to pro
Eject the interests of the nation in
1.-THE serious transportation Crisis
from thegrailroad strike
Several Ii ours of discussion by
I the raiIroadslabo heads yesterday
drought out no authorftatiYe
fstatement as to the nature of pro.
/ Iceedings but no one challenged
the reiterated prediction fthat the
lsPresident's suggestion that the
lshopmen return to work and leave
the question of their seniority rat
Ling to the labor board would be
rejected. The general conference
appears to have been more con-
cerned yesterday with assembling
data as to -thazardouso condi-
tions resulting from the shop
| strike which are leading members
of non-striking labor groups to
refuse to handle trains in parti-
cular sections
| Whether the government would
regard the action OF the railroad
! executives as an acceptance OF the
Presidents plan in view or the
conditions attached remained to
be determined when the text of
| the reply had been studied.
Press forecasts of newspapers
| of conditions fixed by the rail
i heads was taken in some official
quarters as an acceptance of the
| plan.
Pending actual presentation of
| the replies to both sides at the
White House, overnight develop
ments in the protest walkout
! movement among the train service
| brotherhood indicated that this
phase of the problem might over
i shadow soon the shop strike 1T
sself. The cabinet had much in
i formation on the subject on hand
when it met yesterday, but re-
\ ports brought in new advices
! every hour
Rejection Seems Certain
There also were indications
! given by the union chiefs them
1 selves as they went into coEesr-
ence shortly after 10 O'Clock that
| the decisions which have been in
progress for two days had reach
ed a point where it would not take
1 long to formulate the response to
1.-the Presidents proposal The IA
4 Dor leaders again today refused
! to challenge the suggestion that
the reply OF. the unions would be
4 a rejection Of proposal.
Union leaders in filling theic
/ engagement at 2:30 this afternon
| at the White House will give their
1 reply two hours in ADVANCE of the
4 presentation by the executives OF
their conditional acceptance,
voted yesterday in New York.
The executives' committee, ap-
pointed at the general meeting of
i executives in New York and di-
/ rcted to present the response Of
| the managements to the Presi-
4 dent, was scheduled to arrive in
1 washington just about the tima
that the union leaders were due to
reach the White House. The exc
/ cutives' committee had -aN en-
gagement to see the President at
I4:30 O'Clock. 55,
Chairman Hooper OF the Rail
road Labor Board conferred with
the President during the morning.
Mr.. Hooper has been in Washing
ton since Thursday and during that
President and with the union
chiefs.
Abandons Legislation Plan
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12-(By
A. P.)-President Harding was
SAID by administrator advisers to-
\ 80 L.. he, nd