The New York herald., 1922-08-09
Rail STRIKE PARLEY
SEEMS FUTILE now
Roads Likely to Split and
Shop Men May Not
Even Meet.
LOREE REMAINS FIRM
Leader of Coal Carriers In
sists Seniority Can't BE
Surrendered.
SCORN MORE REPAIR JOBS
Locomotive Plant Workers in
Paterson and Dunkirk Re-
fuse Tasks Set.

A new turn came in the rail strike
situation yesterday, when employees
of the Cooke plant of the American
Locomotive Company, at Paterson,
N. j., and at the Brooks plant of the
same company, at Dunkirk, n. Y, re-
fused to work on engines they had
been ordered to repair. At Paterson
$50 men went on strike, refusing to
touch Erie Railroad locomotives, and
at Dunkirk the employees would not
do repair work on engines OF the New
York Central, Lackawanna and Le-
high Valley railroads.
Railroad executives were still unde-
cided rs to President Harding's
amended plan for settling the shop
strike, but it appears certain there
will be no unanimous vote for or
against the Presidents proposal.
Executives were divided yesterday.
Not all agreed with L. +. Loree, chair
man Of the Eastern group, that sub
mission OF the seniority dispute to the
railway labor board means surrender.
Fridays meeting is apt to be lively
one, it was said.
The coal carrier roads, led by Loree
of the Delaware and Hudson, and Gen.
W. W. Atterbury of the Pennsylvania,
are expected TO maintain their seniority
position, while the non-coal carrying
roads, especially those of the South and
the far West, will probably vote TO
accept without reservations Mr.. Har-
ding's terms.
Men May Refuse.
Even il the executives association
does agree to entrust the settlement or
the strike to the Labor Board the men
themselves will have to consent, and
that is by no means a probability. The
shopmen accepted the first offer hesi-
tatingly after they knew the executives
had turned 1t down. 1t was generally
predicted yesterday they would not
listen TO the revised proposition.
The union has not even called a meet
ing Of its executive committeeman to
discuss President Hardings letter. The
shopmen are subdivided into six crafts
-machinists. boilermakers. car men.
blacksmiths. sheet metal workers and
electricians--and each has an executive
committee of five members The or
ganization Is further divided into
northeastern, southeastern and western
geographical groups, so that TO take Of
ninety committeeman from widely sep
arated points.
Members OF the New York committee
said last night II ives doubtful IL b. NJ.
Jewell national president of the union.
would consider 1t worth while to call
them together.
The railroad presidents were sum
moned Monday night by T. De Witt
Cuyler. their chairman. Tho majority
Immediately wired they would attend
the meeting at IL o'clock Friday morn
ing in the board room of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford in Grand Cen
tral station.
both Sides Seem Optimistic.
Optimistic bulletins by both sides In
the strikes were issued yesterday.
The strike In the Paterson plant OF
the American Locomotive Company fol-
lowed orders by officials for stripping
several engines preparatory to repair
work. -ttoyg
When the order came TO begin the re-
pairs the men refused to obey. Mes
sages were sent by John Richardson
business agent for the International As
ISOLATION of Machinists. to the Schenec-
tady, Richmond and Dunkirk works urg-
ing similar action If the workers were
pressed to do shopmen's work.
The shop workers issued statement TO
prove the alleged sabotage on the Long
Island Railroad Sunday was really due
to series of accidents caused by cars
being sent out I'm unfit condition. c.
ID. Baker. general superintendent Of the
road, called this nonsense.
Local railroads continued to report Inn
provement in operations with an in
crease OF freight traffic. The New York
Central IN n statement on ore loading
on the great lakes said July was the
second heaviest month this year.
Six strikers were arrested I'm Lake
hurst. near Lakewood. N. j.. for al
legged efforts to beat UP Central Rail
road of New Jersey workmen who
would not quit.