The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-08-11
CONGRESS To ACT
IN RAIL STRIKE.
Legislative Leaders Are Sum-
moned to Washington.
TABOO IS PUT ON RECESS
Cabinet Devotes More Than Two
Hours to Discussion of Industrial
Situation-No Definite Devel-
opment Announced.
TABOO IS PUT ON RECESS

Washington, Aug. O. President
Harding wants a complete congress
assembled in Washington and ready
for action in view of the grave situa-
tion involved in the railroad and coal
strikes. To this end he has directed
congressional leaders to cancel plans
for recesses after the reconvening
of the house, August Is. This was
the gist of an official announcement
from the White House.
Congressional leaders have been
planning a series of three-day re-
cesses, operating under a gentlemen's
agreement, allowing members to re-
main away from Washington until
the senate is ready to report the tar
iff bill.
Prepares to Act.
President Harding is convinced
however, that this plan would be I'M
wise and he accordingly has taken
steps to have congress in full work
ing order to cope with any transpor-
tation emergency that may arise.
In the face of almost seeming GER
tainty that the railway strikers will
reject Mr.. Harding's latest peace pro-
pOsal, there was no indication from
the White House after the cabinet
meeting as to what future steps the
government will take. President
Harding, it was said at the White
House, is mot making threats nor
is he crossing bridges until he reaches
them.
The cabinet devoted more than two
hours to the Industrial situation, but
there were no definite developments
in the governments policy.
If the leaders of the striking shop
craftsmen had to decide the issue of
peace or continued war there can be
little doubt that the decision would
be for war.
Whether their frame of mind would
be changed by Friday, the date set
for a general conference of all the
principal railroad unions, is doubtful.
The expectation prevailed that an
other meeting of the 14S railway exec
utives will be necessary to formulate
a reply to the White House PROPOSE
ton.
The clearest indication of the tenn
per of the strike leaders, principally
Bert NJ. jewell, chairman of the six
federated shopcrafts, was contained
in the telegram Jewell sent to Warren
S. Stone, chief of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, asking him to
come to Fridays meeting in Wash
ington
Historic Conference.
Fridays general meeting of the
railroad unions-if they all accept
will be one of the greatest gatherings
Of railroad labor in recent history.
And the decisions reached may affect
the course Of railroad history for
years to come.
The four great bretherhoods-en
gineers, firemen, conductors and
trainmen-whose policy has always
been one of aloofness toward the
unions that are affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor, are
expected to be represented. They,
in large measure, can make or break"
the shopmen's strike it was admitted.
Striking shopmen of the Southern
railway and the Mobile & Ohio rail-
road rejected peace overtures of off,
Gals of those two lines.
Rejection was made on the ground
that the shopcrafts strike is nation
al and must be settled nationally.
Labor circles were concerned over
the frequency of railroad wrecks.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, advo-
Gated inquiry into all wrecks Shy pub
lie officials who are not under the in
fuence of railroad authorities"