The Washington herald., 1922-08-08

President Harding's latest pro-
posal 10 settle the railroad shop
mems strike yesterday apparently
failed within a few hours after IT,
was presented and the country now
faces the prospect Of a general rail-
road tie-up.
The Presidents proposal that the
shopmen return to work. that the
railroad operators assign them to
work and that both sides submit the
issue OF seniority to the Railroad
Labor Board met with instant and
determined opposition on the part
of the shopmen's leaders
1t was answered promptly by the
issuance of a call for a general
conference of all the railroad labor
organizations here Friday to adopt
measures to make the shopmen's
strike more effective.
Will Appeal 20 Big Four
The Big Four" brotherhoods. the
organizations Of operating men
will be asked by the strikers TO de-
cline to operate equipment believed
to be defective.
BY this plan the strike leaders
hope 10 Sring about complete stag
nation of the entire railroad trans
portation system of the country.
That the Presidents plan would
be rejected and that the other rail-
road unions would respond promptly
to the shopmen's call for effective
support was believed to be +. fore
gone conclusion following. long
conference between the shopmen's
chiefs and the Washington repre-
s"ntatives OF the Big Four" broth
erhoods.
Fight 20 Finish Likely.
When the President saw the shop
mems Representatives at the White
House yesterday morning. he told
them that this was his last effort
to bring about a settlement OF the
strike. II IL lis. the shopmen's lead
ers indicated clearly last night that
there can be no settlement and the
conflict between railroad workers
and owners seems destined to be a
fight to the finish
The employees now on strike are
firm in their position and will con-
tinue on strike so long as the As
sociation of Railway Executives DE-
cline to accept reasonable terms of
agreement" said Bert NJ Jeweil,
head OF the shop craft organiza-
tions. after the conference.
Those who participated in the
conference. besides Jewell. were
William II. Johnston. president OF
Machinists: ]. p. Noonan. president
of the Electrical Workers; Arthur
]. Lowell. representing the Fire
men and Enginemen; Paul Stephens
of the Trainmen, and II. E. Wills. OF
the Engineers.
Urges Union Conference.
Johnston. Jewell and Noonan dis
patched the following telegram 10
Warren s. Stone. president Of the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers.
at Cleveland:
shop crafts did everything con-
ceivable to avoid necessity for a
strike. and since the strike have at
all times been willing to confer with
any party authorized TO submit q
proposal as a basis Of honorable set
tlement We accepted the Presidents
terms of agreement submitted to en-
ployes and managers July 81 Asso-
citation Railway Executives. In re-
jecting the Presidents terms Of agree
ment. obviously acting under the a.
rection Of those who exercise the
financial control and dictate the labor
policies OF the railroads. repudlated
the promise given by their chairman
to the President and defied the
spokesman Of the American people.
To date only the employees have
made concessions. Obviously, ths
strike must be settled n the country
is to avoid the impending calxnity OF
a collapse Of transportation.
The government has the author
ity to promptly settle the strike or
the just fair and reasonable basis
proposed by the President July 81
However. Il is now apparent that
no constructive program 10 being
proposed. and that unless the rail-
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