Evening star., 1922-07-30
Back in Chicago, Confident
Peace Will Follow.
Coming Parleys.
UNIONS STILL FIRM
UPON SENIORITY ISSUE
Western Roads Report Conditions
Promising, With Repair Work on
Increase and Few Delays.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, July 29-Leaders of the
striking railway shopmen returning
from conferences with President
Harding tonight expressed confidence
that the walkout would be terminal
ed as a result of meetings of rail-
way executives and union committees
next week to consider proposals sub
mitted by President Harding. They
also asserted that the strikers Will
return to work with their seniority
rights unimpaired. if they return at
ALL B. NJ. Jewell, head of the shop
crafts organization, shook his head
smilingly when newspaper men at
tempted to question him. He refused
to term the outlook hopeful or 9TH
to assume" that the meeting of the
shop crafts policy committee was
called to hear suggestions for termi-
mating the strike.
Timothy Healy, president of the
Firemen and oilers Union, which
also is on strike. told newspaper men
that he expected Tuesdays meetings
to result in a settlement
Asked concerning the stage peace
negotiations had reached, Mr.. Healy
said that "the case Is in the hands
of the President" He refused to be
quoted to the effect that a settle
ment of the issues between the rail-
roads and the strikers had been ten
tatively agreed upon between Mr..
Jewell and T. De Witt Cuyler Of the
rail executives as result Of the con-
ferences with the President.
7,1OO shopmen Hired.
Both freight and passenger traffic
on western lines having headquarters
in Chicago are practically unaffected
by the shopmen's strike. said state
ment issued tonight by the western
presidents' committee on public re-
lations of the Association of Rail
way Executives. More than 7,1oo
shopmen. the statement asserted.
were employed this week.
Freight traffic demands are being
met currently. and passenger trains
are being operated normally with
but slight delays" said the state
ment. All of the roads report in
creases in the number Of men at
work In their shops. the total increase
since July "a on all western roads
being 7,1S9 shopmen."
The Santa Fe system was said to
have 1o.2o1 men at work. or approx
mately 81 per cent of the normal
force, and the Illinois Central re-
ported 10,402 men working in its
shops, compared with 12,701 the day
before the beginning of the strike
on July 1.
Fewer Bad Order Cars.
Hale Holden, president Of the
Burlington road, in a statement. said
that the roads shops at West Bur-
lington had begun to turn out re-
paired locomotives. and that the
number Of bad-order cars had been
reduced during the last week. He
said fine progress" was being made
in recruiting a new shop force. which.
he added, now includes 6,510 men, Of
whom $3.50 have been added during
the strike. Additions to the shop
force, he said, numbered $50 to 325
daily.
I'VE have commenced turning en-
gines out Of our large shops at West
Burlington" said his statement. "a
heavy freight locomotive was re-
leased yesterday after having re-
ceived heavy repairs, and more will
follow the early part of the COM
ing week"
Our operation continues on practi-
cally a normal basis. There is no
congestion of freight. and it is being
moved promptly. Loaded cars on our
rails in bad order are less in num-
ber than In June. the month preced-
ing the strike. and the percentage of
bad order cars on the system has
Been reduced during the past week.
From July to July 81. inclusive, cars
loaded at points on this line, includ-
ing those received from our connec-
tions, indicate an increase of II per
cent over the corresponding period
of last year"
w. ". O'Neil. president of the In
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