The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-23
Question of Seniority
Rights Continues To Be
the Stumbling Block In
the Way Of Reaching
Eisfactory U n d e r.


New York, Aug. 23.-(By the
Associated Press)-"The situation
looks mighty serious" This was
the brief statement made by How
ard Elliott, chairman OF the
Northern Pacific on leaving the
meeting of the railroad executives
Just before the recess. Rumors
were current during the recess
that the roads would stand firm on
their refusal to restore the strik-
ers their seniority rights unim-
paired. Indications we're that the
committee which conferred last
week with the brotherhood men,
would receive their instructions of
whatever nature this afternoon
and then get into communication
with the mediation committee late
today or tomorrow. 1t is under
stood an informal vote during the
morning session showed the roads
unanimously opposed to receding
on the seniority question, west
ern roads coming over to the posi-
tion taken by the eastern lines.
Early Morning Speculation
New York, Aug. 23.-(By the Asso-
ciated Press. }s-Efforts of the big
Five" brotherhoods acting as mediat-
ors in the shopcrafts strike, to succeed
where others failed, will be put to the
test today when heads of 14S roads,
meeting at the Yale club, will vote
whether to meet the brotherhoods'
proposals, or decline their goodioffices
In favor OF fight to the finish"
Heads of the Western lines entered
they have entered each of the two
previous conferences when President
Harding, through his peace proposals,
adopted the role of mediator.
Frankly and unreservedly these rail-
road chiefs want the strike settled and
have expressed a willingness to make
any practical concessions which will
relieve their roads of growing short
age of usable rolling stock with a
bumper crop nearly upon them, and
coal mining already being resumed on
a large scale.
"As we have already indicated" said
the president of large railroad which
serves the upper Mississippi valley
States, terminating at Chicago, 1--WE
believe we could take back every
striker without having to release a
single one of the new men in our
shops
"The seniority question? Well, we
are not in position to dictate. We
need our men and are willing to take
them back with their old rights, if it
can be arranged to the satisfaction of
those now in our employ"
Opposing this attitude, and with
forces more compactly mustered, were
- heads of the powerful Eastern
rs, led by L. F. Loree, president
yIsr the Delaware and Hudson; w. w.
,Atterbury, of the Pennsylvania; A. H.
Smith, of the New York Central; Fred,
erick Underwood, of the Erie, and E.
J. Pearson, of the New Haven. Their
roads are in excellent condition, their
shops we'll manned and they are near
to the largest labor markets so they
maintain they are ready to back their
pledges to "stand by the loyal men
who refused to strike and the new
men whom we hired on promise to put
them ahead of strikers on the senior
ity rolls"
The only eastern president about
whom this group expressed any un'
easiness was Daniel Willard, who, it
was said, might join the peace at any
price" delegation from the West.
Several developments of late yester.
day injected an element of uncertain
ty into the ranks of the presidents and
brought predictions in some sources
that re-alignment would set in as
soon as these new factors were recog.
nized in the conference.
The granting of a 20 per cent raise
to about 300, 900 Steel Corporation en-
ployes was generally looked upon as
a sinister omen for the Idle hard" ele,
ment. 1t came "a hours before this
session, it was declared,( as the ul.
innate argument for the powerful
banking interests who invest in both
street and railroads and who for weeks
are known to have urged the rail ex-
ecutives to capitulate.
Another factor, the significance OF
which there was much speculation,
was the expected arrival from Europe
today, on the same ship, of three east.
ern rail presidents, who, 1t was be.
lieved, had planned to remain abroad
all summer.
In the meantime 16 heads Of rail.
road organizations, both the "big four
brotherhoods and the shopcrafts, were
gathering at their New York headquar