The Little River news., 1922-08-05
HARDING'S PLAN TO END
 STRIKE PROVES FAILURE
Railway Heads Refuse to Accept Ais of His Terms-Next Move
 Is Unknown.

Washington, Aug. 1.-President Harding had the rail strike problem back on his hands tonight, as result of the refusal of the railway execu- tives, at their meeting in New York, to accept the administration settle ment plan so far as the seniority issue lis concerned. There is no indication at the White House tonight as to what move, if any, the government plans to make.
 It is considered probable that MT Harding will study the text of the executives reply, and that expected from the labor leaders meeting i'll Chicago, before reaching a decision
 The tone of the replies and the cir cumstances under which they are made, it is indicated, undoubtedly will guide MT. Harding to some extent, and there is another intimation, that pub licity cannot always be helpful in the difficult and delicate negotiations into which the administration has been drawn by the industrial situation.
 Accents Fuel Crisis.
 From the government viewpoint, the rail strike is regarded as immed- lately serious only because of the existing stoppage of coal production, and there have been constant intima- tions that the administration would be disposed to force quick settlement of the railroad difficulties in order to cope with the coal stoppage, even at the cost of some establishment of the former control of railroads.
 Cabinet members and friends of the president have emphasized the con- trast between their view of the "sen- iority issue" and that taken by the railroad executives, as expressed Ill public statements. Public statements of railroad heads that the granting of the strikers demands for return of full seniority rights would neces- sitate the discharge of scores or thousands of efficient workers, hired to take their places, have been flatly denied in informal discussions with newspaper correspondents. It has been further represented in some gov ernment quarters that such men as have been hired would not generally be of a character and capacity which would make them suitable as perma- nent employees.
 Wants Board Obeyed.
 i That this is the presidents view was further indicated by the propos- als sent to union and the executives meetings, in that on the crucial point of seniority rights, the proposals would give the strikers far more com- plete rehabilitation in the service than was suggested in any unofficial summaries made public in advance The presidents view, it is said, IS that the acknowledgment by the rail- road world of the supremacy of the Railroad Labor Board is the chief object of the government at the mo- ment.
 Possibly that new legislation will be sought as a result of the strike test Of the transportation ac, which would make the Labor Boards decisions binding and penalize violations by either employees or employers, again ;s suggested in official circles Chair man Hooper of the Labor Board is expected to argue for increases of the boards power before congressional committees when the issue comes up.
 The Interstate Commerce Commits sion has been constantly in touch with the actual status of the strike through it's Safety Inspection Divis- ion, which checks up on the sufficien- cy of repairs given to locomotives and rolling stock, and through the con- tiuous reports made to the commits sion by number of men at work in all departments of Class 1 roads.