Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-03
Question of Seniority Rights
Leads to Failure of Har-
ding's Move to Bring Fac
tons Together

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.--Careful
study Of the railway executives re-
ply refusing to accept President Hay
ding's plan for settlement Of the
shipments strike so far as it deak
with the seniority issue was expect
ed today to precede any further
movement by the executive in tho
strike situation. !
The government, it is known.
views the railroad strike as serious
in effect only because of the present
stoppage of coal production. In or
der to cope with that problem Il
has been intimated that the admins.
tration would be disposed to force q
quick settlement of the railroad diff.
culties, even though the necessary
measures might involve some re-es.
Establishment of the former control OF
the railroads.
That the immediate effect of the
rail strike upon freight movement
is now confined almost exclusively to
coal was indicated in a report on
freight handled by all railroads dur
ing the week ended July %, issued
today by the car service division OF
the American Railway association.
The report showed that although
coal loadings as compared with the.
previous week fell off 1874 cars, the
movement Of all other commodities
was "the heaviest for this season OF
any in history" It fell, the report
said, just "nine-tenths of 1 per cent
below the peak Of October, is, 1920"
The total of all loadings, including
coal, was given at SCI ,124 cars, which
the report said exceeded the previous
week by PIT cars and the correspond.
ing week of last year by $1,000 cars,
although it falls short 1924 cars OF
the corresponding week in 1920.
Omitting coal, it was said to exceed
the latter by 1926 cars.
The total, of 10000 coal cars load.
ed during the week, the report said,
was a decrease of 1915 as COM
pared with the same week last year
and decrease of 1850 from the
same week in 1920. aFs
Secretary Hoover, after reporting
to President Harding today on the
railway executives meeting yester-
day IN New York, which the. COM
merce secretary attended as the rep
resentative of the president, said. he
did not look for any action during
the day by the executives in the rail
strike situation.
STRIKING SHOPMEN
ACCEPT PEACE PLAN
CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-(By the AS
ISOLATED Press).-Chiefs Of the strik-
ing rail employees today voted to
accept President Harding's pro.
posals for ending the railroad
strike and appointed COMMITTEES
to draft the text of the acceptance
and forward it to the president ini-
mediately.
The actual vote was taken among
the more than 100 chiefs of the
six federated shop crafts under B.
M. Jewell.
Timothy Healy, president of the
Stationary Firemen and Oilers
union, the only other organization
on strike, announced that his or
ganization would concur in the
shop crafts action.
The proposals were understood to
be the same as those which the
railroad executives refused to ao-
cept in full at their New York
meeting, the executives rejecting
the proposal that strikers be re-
stored to their seniority rights If
they return to work.
Union leaders refused to specu-
nate as to what effect their action
might have on peace prospects.
RAIL EXECUTIVES BEHIND ,
LABOR BOARD is CLAIM
NEW YORK, Aug. I'm reject
ing the third section of President
Harding's proposals for ending the
shopmen's strike the railroads are
standing behind the railroad labor
board, according to rail executives
who pointed out today that the board
had told the men who refused TO
strike that they would have sen.
iority rights and permanent employ
ment.
Spokesman for the railroads stated
that the program was final and that
the roads would act as unit.