The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-08-08
HARDING may
ASK LAWS TO
SETTLE CRISIS
President Lets 1t Be Known
He Wants House to Con-
vene Monday Ready to En-
act Legislation.
PROPOSAL FALLS FLAT

with probable rejection of hie latest
rail strike settlement plan by the
striking railroad shopmen, with a re-
ply from the executives as yet uncer-
tain, President Harding today let il
be known that he is desirous OF hav-
ing the house reconvene next Tuesday
prepared to enact any legislation
which might be ueemed advisable in
connection with the industrial situa
ton.
The president, 1t was said at the
white house, has informed the house
that he is opposed TO any program OF
three-day recesses such as has been
contemplated
He has suggested to he leaders, II
was further stated, that instead OF
marking time with a handful of mem
bers present, he asked that the house
reconvene next Tuesday. and that a
full membership be on hand, so that
congress might function In case any
legislation is needed to carry out the
administrations plans with respect to
the coal and rail strike situation.
Situation Serious
There is no Disgusting the serious
ness of the present coal situation, and
perhaps the seriousness of the rail
situation" an administration spokes-
man said in making known the presi-
dents desires at the White House. He
did not disclose, however, what legis-
lation might be requested of congress.
The central industrial situation was
discussed at length by the president
and his advisers. the Tuesday cabinet
meeting lasting two hours.
The shopcraft committee of the
Southern rail system and the Mobile
and Ohio railroad. meeting with rail
officials here today. advised those Of
ficials that they will not make any ad-
justment of the strike with the South
ern or Mobile and Ohio, as the strike
is national and must be settled nation
ally
To Meet Wednesday
Chief executives of the shop crafts
were called to meet here Wednesday
to consider the presidents proposal
that the seniority issue be left to the
railroad labor board for determination.
At the same time, however. the shop
crafts leaders who issued the call also
sought a general conference next Fri
day with "all executives of railroad
labor organizations"
B. NJ. Jewell as spokesman for the
trio of shop craft leaders who con-
ferred with the president yesterday
and received his subsequent call for
settlement of the strike, said 1t was
not expected that strike action will
be suggested at the general confer
ence" which also will meet here
The conference was planned after
consultation with the legislative
agents of the brotherhoods and tn.
message sent to Warren Stone, chief
of the Engineers, said it was believed
a program could be formulated "hay-
ing for its purpose protection of the
public, preservation of the railroad in
dustry and an honorable basis for set
tlement for the managers and the
employees"
Not to Accept.
In connection with the call for shop
craft executives to meet and pass on
the presidents proposal, Mr.. Jewell.
pointed out that he and his colleagues
/ did not have the authority to answer
| for the federation He added, how
ever, that nobody ought to get the
! idea that the shop feredation will
accept"
The railroad executives we're to
meet Friday in New York to formulate
their answer to the White House COM
munication. AS the project was said
| to have been formulated at the White
/ House without previous conferences
with the railroad heads, nothing defi-
mite as to their probable attitude is
! known here.
/! CLEVELAND, Ohio, Aug. S-Warren
IS. Stone, president of the Brotherhood
! of Locomotive Engineers this morring
| IteIegraphed sixteen chiefs of railroad
brotherhods asking them to attend a
! conference in Washington next Friday
10 consider the railroad situation
throughout the country and avert the
impending calamity of a collapse IN
sportation.p
/ President Stones action was taken
:! following receipt of a telegram this
morning from Bert NJ Jewell, head OF
| the shopcrafts union William H. John
ston. president of the International As
sociation of Machinists, and j. B. Moo
nan, president of the Brotherhood of
| Electrical Workers asking him to cal,
isuch meeting
4 called the brotherhood chiefs to
! gether as requested, Mr.. Stone SAID,
''but I do not know just what action
will be taken"
Acting upon President Harding 5
new suggestion for ending the rail
strike the United States railroad labor
board today stood ready promptly and
readily to consider and determine the
question of seniority rights, sole le-
naming barrier to peace on the rail-
ways
In a majority resolution adopted last
night the board asserted as much vii.
ilingness to act on the seniority con.
troversy as to reopen hearings on the
wage and rule issues originally in.
volved in the strike.
A. o. Wharton, the only one OF tbs
; three labor members present at the
meeting. voted against the resolution
after an amendment he offered was
voted down.
Difference in Attitude
''The only difference in the attitude
of the board toward the wage and rule
questions and the seniority question.
: the resolution said. is that, as to IN
former, the board would be called
y