New Britain herald., 1922-08-17
Big Four Has no Definite Poicy-Possible Com- promise Might Include Restoration of Pension, Rights

1 f~S" Aoi n, aug. (, NDy 5sSOcl1teE Press). Five brotherhood leaders representing the running trades o, American railroads today went into formal conference to draw up a pro. gram for ending of the nationwide shopmen's strike to be submitted this afternoon to executives representine 14s roads. .-
 The formal conference, which had been preceded by more informal as. sembly. was called upon arrival ol Warren g. Stone. president of the brotherhood of locomotive engineers What would be proposed by the brotherhood chiefs, assuming the role of mediators, could not be learned from them when they closed the doors behind them. Expect No Compromise
 Representative Of the stationary trades, who were watching closely the brotherhood conference, indicated that they expected the running crafts not to suggest any compromise on the matter of seniority rights, which has proved the big stumbling block ,n pCdCc cilOIlS LlluS lar
 While the strike leaders would not permit themselves to be quoted they indicated that they did not expect the brotherhoods to suggest any patched-up compromise to the ex- ecutives nor did they expect the brotherhoods to promise to exert their influence to get the shopmen to re- turn if seniority rights were not guar anteed strikers.
 New York, Aug. IT (By Associated Press)-The scene of negotiations to- wards peace on the railroads again shifted from Washington to New York today when carrier presidents and union chiefs assembled for a conference which will mark the fifth attempt of an outside agency to sug- gest an acceptable solution of the seniority riddle.
 Twice the railroad labor board has failed in attempts to end the strike by direct negotiations and twice President Harding has been unsuc- cessful in his efforts as volunteer mediator, to end the controversy
 Is Fifth Attempt.
 Today the Dig four" brotherhoods will seek, through their national of- fcials. to place before a committee of the association of railway execu- tives proposal for settlement which will be acceptable to both sides.
 Heading the employers is T. De- witt Cuyler, chairman of the national association, with a committee of nine railroad presidents. Warren s. Stone national head of the brotherhood of locomotives engineers has attended by
 Outside the conference but within the city and within cali of the con- ference will be Bert M. Jewell presi- dnt of the seven shop crafts strike organization and chairman of the de- partment of railway employees, Am- erican Federation of Labor.
 Have No Definite Plan.
 Chiefs of the "big four" arriving for the meeting declared they were without definite plan for solution of the seniority question. They had 'sev- eral half formed proposals" to make but none which they were prepared to make public,
 Notwithstanding the futility of all negotiat tions to date both sides rec ognized that the situation they have to meet is one in which the strikers hav- ing agreed to return to their jobs on the basis of the labor boards scale insist that all be taken back with seniority and pension rights unim- paired.
 The executives association they all so agree has announced it will take back only as many men as the vari- ous roads need to bring shop forces to normal demanding that they return to work without seniority rights, re- maining, however free to bring their demands for reinstated seniority be- fore the labor board later.
 One Possible Solution.
 One possible plan by which the roads might maintain their policy of rewarding loyal and new employees with seniority preference over return ing strikers, and still effect a com promise with the shop crafts. ap- peared in the mass of unofficial dis CuSSlOl1 pflOT lO lllt tullltItICts
 Such a plan was outlined by cer- tain executives as follows:
 That the railroads instead of being bound by the majority action Of the association of railway executives be remitted to take back as many of the strikers as needs of individual -oads dictated. This would assure obs to all the strikers on most of he roads in the country particularly n the southeast and throughout the vest
 2-That the roads and unions agree 0 recognize the seniority rights of | oval employees who refused to strike |
 3-That the seniority status of re- | urning strikers and so-called new nen" be fixed through agreements ,etween unions and homogeneous of roads
 That all pension right be re- <. tr;1 etot