Norwich bulletin., 1922-07-06
Outside Contracting.

Chicago. July (By the A. P.l-Hope for the speedy settlement os the country wide strike of the railway shopmen was seen tonight in statements issued by Ben W. Hooper, chairman of the United States railroad labor board and E. Nj. Jewell. leader of the shop crafts. who ordered the walkout.
 In reply to letter from MT. Hooper which was regarded as concilistory. Mr. Jewell declared that the strikers were willing to consider any negotiatlOns with anyone in authority for settlement of the strike
 we are willing to confer with any body authorized by the railroads to bring peace proposals to us." said Mir. Jewell. T include or exclude no body, hut if the labor board, for instance. came to us with a definite proposition, we would not hesitate to consider it."
 Mir. Jewell made public the exact fig ures on the strike vote taken by the 400 ,oo0 members of the six shop crafts. The vote was divided into three separate ballots, the first on accepting a s55.0c0.- GOO reduction in wages ordered ey the labor board. the restoration of seven working rules altered by the board, and the abolishment of outside contracting by tbe roads.
 The tabulation showed only s4.' per cent of the men had voted to strike on the question of wages. the hzav:est vote for strike being on the question of cut l side contract labor, which po'ied s7.1 per cent. of the vote cast. The ballot on rules came second with 96.2 for strike. Union leaders said that the vol. display
 ed the re,stive importance attached to the three. points at issue 5y their mem ber-hip.
 In railroad circles 1t was declared that
 the way already had been clearel for g '1 full settlement on the grayest issue, that
 of contract work. by the agreement of twelve roads to abolish outside contract ing. at the labor board meeting last Fri
 day, when Mir. Jewell ignored an order
 to appear and explainshis st-iks order
 The first explanation of the incideni
 was rade by Mir. Jewell tonight, wiier
 he said that to have appeared oefare th' , labor board Friday eyouids shsSs. result ed in a rhob-like suspension of work bl fthe siopmen and possible bioedshed.' Q :, He said that the strike order already having gone out and suspension of wori Saturday morning at 10 o'clock having been sanctioned by locals in all parts ot i, the country. to have made an eleventh hour attempt to avert a walk-out would
 have resulted only in chaos.
 He said that the intervention of ths ! DOdIQ ndO COInt lOO ldtr anu NAAAl tAAs
 only way to prevent disorders was fol ! him virtually to defy the board and thui , let the rank and file of the six shoI crafts organization involved know tha their leaders had their hands on th' , brakes and were in full control of thu ! situation. He said that so far he hat received no overtures looking toward { settlement and had made none. He add ed that the strike vote was ths most rep . resentative ever taken, but dsd not nam total figures.
 MT. Hooper in his letter to Mr. Jew
 ell Aeariy n the day den!ed the latter
 chalN> that the labor board was un : i friendly to the employees or thar 1t ha . souflawed the strikers" It has only ac v l cepted your own statement that tn striking men are not the emp.oyes of th I carriers" the letter said. Tt has n0 i. however. used the rasping word outlaw ,- at any tima.
 Labor leaders, members of .he labo r board and railway executives united te " night in the expression of hope that
 settlement was now in sight. declarin
 that the most serious obstacles In In
 twav' of peaceful agreement already ha If been cleared away.
 h With the working rules as practical 10 the only obstacle to peace, the rpino ,s was expressed on all sides that this ]:
 sue would be disposed or ohSe cohie'
 enceS were under way.
 statement from northwestern heat 1' quarters. of the Pennsylvan;a iailroa ,r tonight said that all but fifty cf l1.nf !, Pennsylvania employees in the Altoon ir Pa. shops. remained at work and tn q 1 Pennsylvania lines east of Pittsburg
 the percentage of employees who left wol In is under 25
 in "A number of employees. wno left woi h. last Saturday, are returning in sroul " of three and four" added the stateTnen or Meanwhile. the fifth day of the wal
 out passed in comparative quiet. a
 though several clashes were report' al from widely separated sections of u c- country Railways at many points begs of employing new men to take the plac Il. lof the strikers, while others notified the ,e men that their places would oe he m open for them until July 10. before the
 names would be. stricken from the rol . with the loss of their seniority priv a. leges.