The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-16
HOPE. FOR STRIKE
PEACE RUNS HIGH
Executives and Labor Heads
May Reach Agreement.
Optimism Regarding Confer
ence Result Tomorrow.
HARDING PREPARING MESSAGE
Planning to Tell the Entire
Story to Congress.
Federal Control May Be the
Governments Last Card.
HARDING PREPARING MESSAGE

Washington, Aug. ia plan for
adjustment of the railroad strike is
understood to have been worked out
here at a lengthy conference today
between the heads of the sixteen
standard railroad Unions. 1t will be
taken to New York this afternoon by
chiefs of the four brotherhoods and
presented to the railway executives in
tomorrow's joint conference at No. 81
Broadway.
The brotherhood chiefs planned to
leave Washington at 3 o'clock this
afternoon for New York.
Leaders of the six striking shop
craft unions will follow tonight, so as
to be in the vicinity of tomorrow's
joint conference.
Plan a Secret.
Whatever the plan agreed upon, it
was a closely guarded secret, that
there is reason to believe, however,
that tomorrows discussion will hinge
vanced some weeks ago of dividing
seniority into three classes:
1. Old men to rank first.
2. Returned strikers to rank sec
ond.
3. New men to rank according TO
their length of service, the question of
whether the strikers will have first
place to be left to an impartial
tribunal.
1t is known that a majority of the
such a program, altho some of the
die hards" would oppose it.
Washington Is Hopeful.
Hopes for a settlement of the rail-
road strike by mutual agreement be-
tween the railroad executives and the
high in Washington today as Presi-
dent Harding began the preparation
of a message to congress dealing with
the grave situation.
brotherhoods will meet the railway
executives in New York tomorrow
about the same time the president
goes to the capitol to tell congress
how serious the situation is, and there
is good reason to believe something
will come of the joint conference.
President Harding's message to con-
gress, it was understood today, will
embrace virtually the following: -T
1. The president will tell congress
the whole story" beginning with the
Herrin massacre and winding up with
the Arizona desert, where train crews
abandoned trains at desert terminal
points.
2. He will recount every step taken
by the government to try to end the
strike by peaceful means and give the
reason for their failure.
8. He will then, figuratively, wash
his hands of the whole situation, and
inform congress the government has
TedCneo Ine enO OF 1lS rope IN
to estS blish peace.
4. He will affirm the governments
intention of affording protection to
those railroads able to maintain serv-
ice by troops, if Necessary, and for
those roads unable to fulfill their pub
lie obligations, he will suggest other
means - probably federal receiver
ships.
Seizure Last Resort.
Looming in the background of the
presidents message is a final alterna-
tive should these steps fail to main
tain transportation government
it was undetermined to-
day whether this threat should be
given a place in tomorrow's communi
cation. Whether it is there or not, ad-
ministration officials asserted today.
it is ever present as the governments
final alternative.
The weight of a presidential mes
sage. coming on top of a presidential
order that the safety rules affecting
locomotives must be enforced, is ex-
pected to have a SOLDERING effect upon
both the die hard" executives and the
hard boiled" leaders among the
striking railroad workers. And rightly
or wrongly, administration officials
were confident today that something
will come of tomorrow's joint con-
ference between the executives and
the union leaders
Rolling Stock in Bad Shape.
Despite the denials and statements
put forward by railroad executives.
the fact stood forth with unmistakable
prominence today that the rolling
stock of railroads is in a deplorable
condition and is steadily becoming
worse as a result of six weeks sus-
pension of repairs.
The nature of the proposal which
the brotherhood leaders will make to
the executives at tomorrow's New
York conference, was not disclosed
today by union heads, meeting here.
1t was asserted with positiveness, how
ever, that there will be no yielding by
the striking shop craft workers on
the issue of seniority-the rock upon
which all peace efforts have smashed.