Evening star., 1922-07-21
HOOPER SUMMONED.
HEREBY.PRES|DENT.
FOR STRIKE ADVICE.
Executive Wants to Obtain
Direct information on Sev-
eraI Points Raised.
ROADS STILL INSIST
UPON KEEPING PLEDGES
May Restore Pension Rights to
Strikers, But Firm on Giving
New Men Seniority.
Ry the Associated Press.

ny Tue ts>tC4Sleu ltSS.
President Harding, undeterred by
the failure of members of the Senate
interstate commerce committee to
obtain from leading eastern railroad
executives at last nights conference
a basis for settlement of the rail
strike, today invited Chairman
Hooper of the Railroad Labor Board
10 Washington for a discussion OF
the strike situation.
The President, it was indicated at
the White House after today's cabinet
meeting at which the rail strike was
discussed at length, desired to OBJ
tain from Chairman Hooper through
direct conference information on sew
eral points raised by the railroad
executives in their discussion OF the
situation with Senators Cummins,
Iowa; Watson, Indiana, and Kellogg,
Minnesota, of the Interstate Com
merce committee.
Indications were given after the cabi
net meeting that the President and his
advisers regarded the industrial situa-
tion as serious. although not without
hope. 1t was stated. however, that the
situation in neither the coal fields nor
in the railroad centerS was deemed suf-
ficiently serious at the present moment
to require use of federal troops
Three Points at Issue.
The information furnished the gov
ernment through the conference, &C
cording to additional disclosures to-
day, that the three principal points
at issue in the strike controversy are
restoration of the seniority and of
pension rights of the strikers and
setting up of a national board of ad-
justment. The latter was received
as new factor by the President,
who was said to have been unadvised
that this was a strong point at issue.
Chairman Hooper, it was said, had
not informed the President that the
national board question was promi-
nently involved, although labor lead
ers have informed senators that it
was being pressed as a condition pre-
cedent to return of the~strikers to
work.
on the question of the strikers
seniority rights, the big point at is
sue. the President was said to have
been informed, upon statements of
the rail heads to the senators, that
of 100000 men who went on strike,
places of 100000 have been filled.
The railroads it was said, in hiring
these men guaranteed that they
would be retained permanently. II
competent. The employers, 1t was
said regarded this promise as a
pledge and one interfering with re-
turn of the strikers, not only as TO
the actual return to work, but in its
effect on their seniority status. The
pension question, the rail executives
were said to have indicated, might be
yielded.
Filled Half Of Jobs.
Vice President Atterbury of the
Pennsylvania system was said to
have stated in last nights confer
ence that his road had suffered loss
of $4,000 men by the strike, but had
filled 5000 of the places.
The statement that the freight serv-
ice of the eastern lines was being
maintained for the present at 100 per
cent in spite of the strike was said to
have been made by the executives and
transmitted to Mr. Harding. The ex-
ecutives were reported to have con-
ceded that 100 per cent service could
not be continued indefinitely. but they
believed it would not suffer ma
terial reduction. That the new men
hired in place of the strikers were not
as competent, as a rule, but sufficient
ly so as to maintain approximately
normal service up to this time, also
was said to have been stated by the
executives.
Another point in the strike on which
the executives We're said to have in
dicated a. position to yield was that
of letting shop work to outside firms.
ONLY two roads, the Erie and Western
MARYLAND, were said to he continuing
this practice, in violation of the or
ders of the Railroad Labor Board and
A. was said TO have been indicated
that these roads were prepared to
abandon the outside working con-
tracts.
Roads Adamapt.
On the question of national adjust
ment board the executives were re-
ported to be adamant. The executives
pointed out, it was stated, that the
PENNSYLVANIA and other railroads al
ready have their own adjustment
boards, which were said to be work
ing satisfactorily.
The executives were said to have
EXPRESSED the opinion that the strike
would not spread beyond the unions
now involved. They were reported to
have firm assurance on this point, one
stajd to be causing much concern to
the President and administration
leaders.
THE President was said to have
been further informed that Chairman
Hooper had not, because of the lack
of direct discussion, given him COM
pIete and detailed information re-
garding the points in dispute. espe-
ciaIIy relating to the reported union
demand for the national adjustment
hoard For this and other reasons it
was said to be the Presidents desire
70 confer personally with Chairman
Hooper.
Legislation Impracticabie.
Senators of the interstate com
merce committee reiterated today that
immediate legislation to affect the
present strike was impracticable, and
also again expressed the view that
there was nothing Congress might do
in the Immediate situation. Numerous
senators, however, were at work on
bills designed for future relief, both
in the railway and coal fields.
Chairman Cummins of the Senate
committee was visited today by local
legislation agents of the four rail-
road brotherhoods, but the object of
the conference was not disclosed.
The conference, said to have been
called on the initiative of Senator
Cunmins, chairman of the Senate
committee, was attended by T. De
Witt Cuyler of the Association of
Railway executives, l.. F. Loree of
the Delaware and Hudson. E. j. Pear
son of the New York, New Haven and
Hartford; w. W. Atterbury of the
Pennsylvania. Frank II. Alfred Of the
Pere Marquette and Senators Watson
sf Indiana and Kellogg Of Minnesota,
both members of the Senate inter-
state commerce COMMITTEES.