The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-22
LEGAL ACTION TO STOP STRIKES IS
 BEING CONSIDERED
(Continued from paxe one)


 to see that the production incident to transportation is not interfered with"
 All Questions Discussed
 Asked whether legal proceedings, including writs of injunction were discussed with Senator Cummins he replied that all phases of poss. bls action which might be necessary had been gone over. including he added, the right of man to work and the right of man to quit work :"
 The Attorney General said no pa pers were now in course of prepa- ration in connection with the strike but declared that the administra- tion's plan involved consideration of, all possibilities.
 "The coal situation" he continued, "is more or less involved in the raiI- way situation, whether purposely do not know. A good many raile roads however are reporting seri- ous shortages of coal. Several, I have noticed in going over the re- ports, have about only ten days supply"
 Regarding the railway strike situa- tion in the west, the Attorney Gen eral said some of the railway work CTS had been taken forcibly from trains and some whipped and thrown in streams. The Attorney General indicated that the government con- templated meaxures to curb such acts of violence and do all in its power to afford full protection of railroad workers.
 Future Legislation
 With Senator Cummins. MT. Daugh- erty said he also discussed future, but not immediate strike legislation. 1t appeared to be his view, in which Senator Cummns and other senators have said they shared. that there was no immediate legislation practical to deal with the present strike, and that legislative action would have to Do confined to coping with future emer- gencies.
 During the day Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor. issued a statement calling on the government to open direct negotiations" between union chiefs and employing corporations. both n transportation and coal mining, and suggesting that 9he helpless and all but defunct railroad labor board" be set aside in the matter.
 Senators Cummins, Watson ana kellogg during, their s., Sssit to -sne White House told the President they had tound the seniority issue the chief obstacle to settlement of the railroad strike, but also indicated tkat the leaders of the striking shoi.- men were also demanding that a new federal board of mediation be set up to consider transportation labor con- troversies.
 Won't Reinstate Men
 Railroad executives, the senators reported. would not reinstate return ing shopmen in the service positions they formerly held, even should the strike be called off, because they claimed that total of nearly 240,O0o men had been employed to fill the places of 100000 strikers. These rev men, it was said, had been prom ised permanent employment If they developed efficiency
 w. W. Atterbury of the Pennsyl- vania railway, it was said. estimated that out of 1s.oo0 employees who walked out July 1. 9,oeo had had their places filled by new men, who, he said, would be retained.
 The railroad executives who con- ferred here last night were reported to have said that the roads were all willing to yield before the union ob- jection to the practice of farming out equipment repair work to con tracting concerns away from their own shops. and that only two lines, the Erie and Western Maryland, were still following the policy The pro- rosals for new national board of mediation were likewise considered.
 Representatives in Washington of the four railroad brotherhoods took this proposal up later with Chairman Crmmins to discuss the possibility that such an organization which ex- isted during the war be restored or one similar in character be estap- ushed. Senator Cummins arranGei to meet them tomorrow