Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-08-12
HARDING GIVES RAILWAYS ONE
WEEK TO SHOW RESULTS.

President Harding and his advisers
| are sitting tight" OH the railroad sit
uation. The President will make no
further Immediate move for settle.
ment but Is inclined to leave the prob
! lem to the railway executives, who re
jected his overture.
| Many conferences were held III
| washington OH both. the railroad and
| coal strikes today, but were all of n
confidential character.
Though no official announcement of
any KIND have been made, it can be
stated authoritativcly that the Presi.
dent is inclined to give the railway
| executives reasonable time-perhaps
n wcek-to demonstrate whether they
can fully meet the situation, keen the
transportation lines open and move
all or the coal and the freight that /.
| offered.
In this connection the last sentence
of tire Presidents settlement proposoI
as submitted to the railway executives
is significant. 1t read: ar thor. -,
good reason why the managers cannot
accept they would be obligated to open
dlrect negotiations or assume full +,
|
| No concerted move for direct nego.
'ia'loh mas been taken by the executlv
es. 1t was said their responsibility !,
" .he gencral public to see that the
!allroads operate officially and do not
lhpcoe coal or other movement when
would cause public loss or suffering.
UNITED STATES PREPARES
| TO ACT
The New York Herald is able to
state that should crisis come i'm ou.,
il'lon due to failure Of settlement the
president Is prepared to direct operot
! ION Oh the roads which fail under the
process or law provided in the transpor
'"'''n ACT. Ihls means that should
any road suffer paralysis or y rc,.
breakdown the Department OF Justice
, Immediately would move for the np-
I poih'meht, on behalf OF the people u1
| Il rccelVcrShlp for the road. The receiy
CT would act for the President and the
! railway executive whose road or sys
! tenn had failed would he relieved of his
job.
| The Department Of Justice has stud
1ed the law OH the subject and is fully
| P''p'titu lof speedy action.
PRESIDENT Harding and those of his
cabinet who have been in most init
mate touch with the strike and indus
| 1rlal situation regard the railroad and
coal strikes as hopelcSsly intcrtwineu
ana each is being viewed in relation to
the olhcr. Because Of this fact should
, any railroad impede coal movement On.
lall III the fullest measure TO carry
out directions rs to operation or Dri,
Ivy OF movement given by the mte,.
; state Commerce Commission n rccciy.
ership would be sought and u receiver
appointed in full sympathy with Gov
, ernmcnt plans for meeting the crisis.
! Such action will not be invoked how
! over, until there is unmistakablo fon
ure or pronounced unwillingncss to
meet requirements Of the public.
PRESIDENTS MEANING CLEAR
! III the light Of this preparedness for
action the meaning of the Presl,cn,
: when he said the roads would have to
SeltIe inc controversy directly or a.
sumo full responsibility seems plain.
J Though it is unlikely that the Presi
cen: Will make any further proposn,
at TINS time, but will rather wait de.
. clopments as to the ability Of the e1.
ccutiVes to act, there is strong Drob,.
| Dlllty OF new offer Of adjudication Q,
all or the questions involved by tho
railroad labor board.
| The shop workers today accented in
| lull tire Presidents three proposa!s
| 1or settlement. The railroad cyccutjy
, Us accepted the first two propositions,
; PloVldlnS 1or the recognition or tho
Valdlty OF all labor board decisions
ana rehearing OF all questions in
/ vowed and the dropping of all law
suits. Ihc executives rejected only tho
! seniority proposal. It is regarded ap
possible that the labor board may sug
gest an arbitration Of the third propo3
al and general settlement and awnr,l
! by the board covering the arbitration
| award.
Secretary Of Commerce Hoover. who
was the Presidents spokesman before
the meeting OF executives held q long
: conference with Mr.. Harding today
and gave n personal account of tho
meeting and Of the attitude of the rail
way executives He refused to comment
i after the conference and nothing was
Later In the day Secretary Hoover
was closcted for an hour with Daniel
! willard, president OF the Baltimor.
ana Ohio. one OF the leaders among
the executives.
WEEKS SEES PRESIDENT
Mr.. Hoover and Mr.. Willard both
dcclned to make any statement with
regard to the conference. The Balit.
more and Ohio was one of the roads
that sought separate settlement with
the men and was ready to give in on
the seniority question,
Secretary Of War Weeks conferred
with the President on the strike situa
ZION but he too, had no comment to
make except the statement that he ex
pected no immediate action. The Presi
U0nt also pnnfarro5 ,,,;tl a.