The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-07-17
TRACKMEN REFUSE
To ABIDE BY ORDER
OF UNION HEAD.
Approximately $4,000 Have Gone
Out on Strike
WILL NOT BE- EXPELLED
Organizer Will Attempt to Re-
strain Men Pending Decision
on National Strike !.
WILL NOT BE. EXPELLED

. Is In prospect before Inursday
and a walkout will not be ordered
then If the railroads deslst from
their reported efforts to induce
members Of the union to perform
. the duties of the striking shop
men, according to President
Cradle.
Thursday is the day set for the
meeting Of the general chairmen
and executive council of the
brotherhood at which the labor
situation as it affects the main
. tenance Of way men will be thor
oughly studied.
Chicago, July 17.-Approximately
twenty-five thousand maintenance OF
way men have struck without per-
mission from President Cradle it
was estimated today by Vice Presi-
dent Smock of the maintenance OF
way employees union. They will not
be expelled from the union for the
present but the brotherhood orgahi-
zers will attempt to persuade them
to remain at work pending a final
dee sion as to the national strike.
Chicago. July IA veil OF silence
descended like a blanket over the
railway strike situation yesterday as
both railway heads and strike lead
ers turned hopeful eyes toward the
momcntOus developments the new
week was expected to bring forth.
The bitterness. which has marked
the progress of the walkout at times
Muiing the past two years, seemed to
have becl succeeded by peace al
most approaching an understanding.
Til hurllng of verbal challenges.
claim and counter claims, ultima
tIms and defiances, apparently had
ended through exhaustion or the
hope Of an early agreement
DESPITE the silence of the leaders.
with accompanying rumors of tacit
armistice or truce to allow fuller con-
cidoration of points brought out dur
ing the week at meditation confer
ence, hopes of an early settlement
were expressed freely in both railway
and labor quarters, although no tam
glble basis for these expectations was
given in any case.
One of the factors most often
quoted to justify belief that the
drift was toward peace, despite the
failure last week of Hoopers efforts
to bring the labor leaders and the ex-
ecutives together, was the statement
of r. A. Hennng, general chairman
Of the Federated Shop Crafts Of the
Northwest, that only the refusal OF
eastern roads to agree to reinstate
striking shop crafts workers with
their full seniority rights, is prevent
ing a settlement of the strike so far
as the northwest roads are concerned.
The railroads throughout, it was
declared. have insisted that their men
return to work as one of the first
steps toward peace, and the belief
was expressed that the restoration of
the rights sought would not alone
prove a great stumbling block in the
way of a full settlement, In this con-
nect'on member Of the labor board
asserted that the roads had to a large
extent stopped recruiting men to re-
place the strikers.
On the other questions at issue
outside contracting for shop work.
notifications of certain rules and
working agreements, the establish
ment of conciliation boards and
wages 1t was declared that most of
the roads had already agreed to abol-
ishing outside contracting as ordered
by the labor board and to establish
ing early the conciiation boards un-
dor the federal transportation act.
wages, both Of which might again be
Tins, but two questions, it was as
serted. were lfow at issue-rules and
brought before the labor board for
decision on the demand of the men
for rehear.ng
In the case of the maintenance OF
way men, it was pointed out the
board averted walkout by agreeing
to an immediate consideration of ap-
peals for wage increases on the
ground that government figures
showed that the cost of living had in
creased since it rendered the wage
reduction decision, which became eff
fective on July /, simultaneously with
the calling Of the shipments strike.
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