Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-07-18
PRESIDENT TO
FIX ON POLICY
Cabinet Session Will Decide
Whether He AbandOns
Pacific Methods
CONCERN INCREASES
Executive Council of Labor
Federation Sends Out
Proclamation to all Bodies
CONCERN INCREASES

Washington, July l8.-President
Harding's next move in the railway
strike will be decided upon at the
meeting of his Cabinet to be held to-
day, it was officially announced yes
terday afternoon.
Whether he will abandon his paci-
fic attitude toward the strikers, VINO
have partly paralyZed leading rail-
roads and transportation centers and
who now threaten complete paralysis
and will resort to the use OF United
States troops for the protection OF
life and property is yet to be deter
mined.
The Administrations cencern over
the railway strike increased today
with the receipt of reports in Wash
ington that 25000 maintenance-of-
way workers had struck without au-
thorization by the union leaders; that
the stationary engineers and oilers
have quit, and that other unions are
voting in favor of a walkout. It is
difficult for the Government to fore
see the end of the transportation
troubles into which the country has
been plunged.
The executive council of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor has sent out
proclamation to all national and
/ international unions and all city CEN
trail labor bodies in the United States.
The proclamation points out the
cause of the disagreement, deals with
the manner in which railroad policy
is dominated by powerful financial
interests and makes clear the manner
in which the strike can be terminated
at any moment.
"The stoppage of work can be end
ed at anv moment" the proclamation
says. through joint negotiations be-
tween the railroad management and
the workers, and there is nothing to
prevent the railroads from adopting
this course at any moment.
"The TRANSFORMATION act specifical-
" provides that both parties to an
industrial dispute may come together
for the purpose Of reaching an agree
ment without giving the slightest con-
sideration to the Railroad Labor
Board or any Of its decisions affect
ing conditions of work and wages for
services performed.
"The following statement is made
by the railroad unions and by the
American Federation:
1. The control of the trans
portation system of the country, in
cluding nearly every important sys-
tenn. today centers in New York
city. and the main lines Of policy
for the industry are determined on
a national basis by a comparatively
small group of New York banks.
"2. This group of New York
banks is closely knitted together
into a single unit through maze Of
interlocking directorates, and lead
ership in this combine has been
maintained through credit control
by the house of Morgan.
"3. This control extends not only
to the various railroad systems. but
also to the chief industries Of the
! country, which furnish the rail-
roads with fuel. material for main
tenance of way and equipment,
new equipment and other supplies.
"4. Certain members of this
financial group are primarily rail-
way directors and they constitute
what might be termed the railway
department or committee of this
unified financial combination.
"5 Thomas De Witt Curley and
w. w. Atterbury (of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, handmaiden of the
| United States Steel and l.. F.
Loree (nresident of the Delaware
and Hudson). who are at present
leading the attack upon the organ
lied employees Of the road, both be-
fore the country and the Railroad
Labor Board are members of this
railway committee of the combine
"6 The spread of control Of this
New York railway department ex-
tends to every section of the coun-
try. thereby accounting for the fact
that the present policies are being
followed on a national basis"