The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-07-20
LABOR BOARD GIVES
UP SETTLEMENT
Seniority Rights Stumbling Block Pre-
venting Agreement Between Rail
road Men and EMPLOYEES.

CHICAGO. July 20-Failure of all
efforts to bring about the settlement of
the countrywide strike of the railway
Shopmen. was announced in a statement
issued last night by Ben W. Hooper,
chairman of the railroad labor board
As there does not seem to be any
probability of reconciling the antipodal
views of the carriers and the men on the
question at issue, the labor board and
none of its members are now engaged in
any further efforts along that line the
statement said
At the same time the statement
pointed out that virtual agreement had
been reached between the rail heads and
the strike leaders on all of the five
points in dispute except that of the re-
turn of the strikers of their seniority
rightS-a dispute which was not origi-
nally in dispute between the roads and
their men.
Railroad executives. through the west
crn presidents committee on public re-
lationS of the Association of Railway
Executives, issued statement last
night Corroborating Chairman IIooper's
statement that no further peace confer
cnces were being held and that the
seniority issue was the principal Stun
bling block.
Chairman Hooper's statement said
that a conference was held last Satur-
day between B. NJ. Jewell. head of the
shopmen; 4. o. Warton. labor member
Of the board. and Mr. Hooper and heads
of the seven striking organizations.
When AIR. Jewell indicated he would
be willing to submit to his committee
an agreed program if the carriers con
CURED in it.
The program, Mr., Hooper's statement
said. was as follows:
First that which have adopted the
contract system should abandon it.
Second. establishment of National
adjustment board.
Third that striking employees seek
rehearing by the labor board of disputed
rules and wages.
Fourth. that the carriers drop all law
suits growing out of the strike
Fifth restoration of seniority rights.
Mr.. Hooper said he had submitted the
proposition to several railway executives
with the agreement that if a tentative
agreement could be reached it was to be
submitted to other executives. Mr..
Hooper said he understood the program
had been laid before a large number of
executives.
My Investigation of the attitude Of
the carriers has convinced me. his
statement said, that no serious obstacle
is to be found in any of the items above
enumerated, except the fifth"
The carriers raised no objection to
reopening the wage decision and the dis
pute regarding seven protested rules, he
said. and declared that the foregoing
disposition of contracts. wages and rules
would remove from conflict all three of
the questions upon which strike votes
were taken"
Regarding adjustment boards Mr.
Hooper said many roads are willing to
have regional boards. some are willing
to have national adjustment board and
some favored boards on each individual
road. An agreement Of some sort could
doubtless be reached upon this matter,
he said.
''At present" the statement continued,
there is no possibility of an agreement.
on the reinstatement of striking en-
ployes with all rights restored"