New-York tribune., 1922-08-12
Executives Agree to Take
Strikers Back. as New
Men in Meeting Marked
by Stormy Discussion
Submit Offer to
President TODAY
Insist Labor Board Can
not Reverse Old Judg.
ment ON Seniority Issue


Executives representing the couyl-
try's leading railroads, meeting yes
terday in Grand Central Terminal,
conditionally accepted the latest pro-
posal Of President Harding, as they
interpret it, for a settlement of the
shopmen's strike, which was that
the roads take back the strikers,
both sides then to place the senior
ity issue before the Railroad Labor
Board for a decision.
When the decision of the execu-
tives was communicated to union
leaders assembled in Washington to
draft their reply to the Presidents
proposals they ridiculed the idea that
they could ever consent to any COM
promise plan. The union chiefs met
behind closed doors, but reached no
decision on how they would reply to
the President. In their private con.
versations they gave every indica-
tion that they would reject fatty the
proposal to send the seniority issue
back to the Labor Board.
Before Harding To-day
Pending the presentation to the
President to-day of their formal
action by committee Of eight,
which will go to Washington this
morning, the railroad heads de-
clined to make public the results of
their deliberations. Their position.
however, was understood to be sub 4
stantially as follows:
Should the strikers decide to re-
turn to work the railroads will take
back as many of them as they have
places for, but only as new employees.
This course the railroads say they
are bound to follow, because of the
pledges they gave their present en-
-pioyaes under the authority and sane
tion Of the Railroad Labor Board
lnasmuch as the strikers forfeited
their seniority rights by striking,
and the railroads then acted under
Labor Board authority in employing
men to replace them, it is not up to
the railroads to bring the seniority
issue before the board But it is
up TO the railroads, in the event of
the return of the strikers 20 work,
to stand by their present employees
if the then erstwhile strikers or any
other group of employees asks the
board to decide the question, and
they will do so with the utmost firm
ness and determination, because of
the pledges they gave.
AS for the Labor Board, that body
in resolutions adopted on June 8, as
well as in previous decisions, has
firmly declared itself on the senio2-
ity question, and it cannot now, with
any regard for fair and unpreju-
diced judgment, reverse itself purely
for the sake CT expediency. The
boards position, as it now stands,
is precisely that Of the railroads.
Not Antagonistic, They Hold
The executivea' action, which was de-
clared to be Sin nowise antagonistic
to the Presidents proposal, nor in any
sense a reversal or even modification
of the stand taken by the railroads
week ago TuesdaY, when they re-
jected the Presidents first peace prof
fer" was reached only after prolonged
and stormy discussion.
Their final decision represented what
was termed Substantial victory" for
the group of carriers counseling a
course Of moderation, headed by A. H.
Smith, president of the New York Gem
trail, and corresponding defeat for
the no compromise group having as
it's chief spokesman L. F. Loree, chair
man of the Eastern presidents confer
ence and president of the Delaware &
Hudson.
The action taken was regarded as a
personal victory for President Harding,
inasmuch as the moderates supported
him and his Administration, while the
standpatters have vigorously attacked
him for what they termed his "unwar-
ranted interference" in intervening.
However, it is regarded as unlikely
that the results of the conference will,
by themselves and as matters stand ct
present, bring the strike appreciably
nearer settlement since the leaders
of the shopcrafts are said to be virtu-
terms. This opinion is held not only
by observers but by many of the exeeu-
tives, including many of the moderates.
The decision to send committee to
the White House, instead of merely
telegraphing the decision, was in or
der that the executives might clarity
for the President the exact position
on which they have decided to stand,
as well as to supply information to the
President on any points upon which
he may now have some doubt. As
leaders of both the standpatters, as
well as of the moderates, were placed
on the committee. it was surmised that
the former also would ehave their full
say in the White House conference.
possibly in the nature of minority
report based ON the views defeated in
yesterdays proceedings.
Two Proposals Voted On
So far as could. be learned two pro-
posals were voted on by the executives.
One, said to have been submitted by
the Loree group, was defeated. 1t is
believed this called for action tanta-
mount to rejecting che Presidents pro-
posai. The proposal accepted was said
to have been voted fAvcrabiy bv an
"appreciable majority"
"The righteous" comAented Fred