Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-07-21
FIGHT TO A FINISH
SURE AS ATTEm mPTS
AT PEACE COLLAPSE
Washington July 2l.-Presdent Harding
was advised today by Chairman Cummns and
Senators Watson of Indiana and Kellogg of Mime

sofa Of the senate inter-
state commerce commit
tee of the unavailing ef-
forts made by them in. the conference
with several leading eastern railroad
executives last night to obtain
basis for settlement of the railroad
strike.
The three interstate commerce.
committee members went to the
White House shortly after o'clock
and laid before the president the full
details of the conference last night
with the regular executives. They
declined to discuss the report prior
to its presentation to the senate.
Cummins Pessimistic.
On leaving the white house Senator
Cummins seemed rather pessimistid
over the outlook but Senator Watson
declared he believed some way would
be found to bring a cessation of the
railroad strike.
The railroad executives in their con.
ference was understood to have de.
clared most emphatically that therd
could be no restoration Of the senior-
ity rights of those employees on
strike. This question was said to
be the big point at issue.
Samuel Gompers president of the
A. F. of l.. in statement issued to-
day invited the government to urge
that the striking coal miners and
striking railmen and their respective
employers inaugurate direct negosia.
tions at once. =
Labor asks for conference with
"If the government wishes operation
of mines and railroads let 1t exert its
tremendous influence to bring the en-
ployers into conference with the rep
resentatives of the workers"
Hooper Called to Capital.
Washington. July 21.-Prcsident
Harding, undeterred by the failure CT
members Of the senate interstate com.
merce committee to obtain from east.
ern railway executives basis of SET.
tlement for the rail strike, today in.
vited Chairman Hooper of the rail-
road labor board, to Washington for
a discussion of the strike situation
The President, it was indicated at
the white house, desired to obtain
from Chairman Hooper through direct
conference information on severa;
points raised by the railroad execu-
tives in their discussion at confer.
ence last night Of the situation with
Senators Cummins of Iowa, Watson Of
In 10 MI n pf 1Iiunaynta ne
the interstate commerce committee.
Indications were given after the
cabinet meeting today that the Presi-
dent regarded the industrial situation
as serious although not without hope
1t was stated the situation in neither
the coal fields nor in the railroad CEN
ters was deemed sufficiently serious at
the present to require use of federal
troops
The information furnished the gov,
through last nights confer
ence was that the principal points at
issue were. Restoration of the senior
ity and of pension rights of the strik-
ers and setting up national board Of
The latter was received
as a new factor by the President. who
W
this was a strong point at issue.
On the question of the strikers
seniority rights, the big point at issue.
the President was said to have been
informed by rail executives that OF
the 100000 men who went on strike
places of 100000 have been filled. The
it was said, in hiring these
men guaranteed they would be re-
tained permanently if found compe'
tent The employers, it was said, re.
garded this promise as pledge and
one interfering with return of the
strikers. not only as to the actual re-
turn to work, but in its effects on their
seniority status. The pension Ques-
tion. rail executives were said to have
might be yielded,
The statement that the freight serv-
ice of the eastern lines was being
at the present at 100 per
cent was said to have been made by
the executives and transmitted to Mr..
Harding. The executives were re-
ported to have conceded that 100 per
cent service could not be continued
but they believed 1t would
not suffer a material reduction.
A Fight to the Finish.
Chicago. July 2l-(By the A. P.)-'
The strike of railway shopmen today
bore increasing external appearances
If finish fight between the union men
md the rail heads
An abortive conference at Wash.
ngton last night between several rail-
road presidents and members of thu
senate interstate commerce commit
lee only revealed strengthened deter
mination on the part of the railroads
not to weaken in their determination
10 grant demands of the union men
sor reconsideration of the instructions
which abolish seniority rights of the
destroy .heir pension status