Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-08-12

alS TODAY after a hnal con-
ference to have decided
to reject completely the
| a s t strike settlement
proposal put forward by President
Harding.
TIE striking unions in a written
| response sent to the white Mouse
were said by this official to have told
the president they could not call off
the strike unless guarantee was
given that all of their men would be
reinstated in service with seniority
rights unimpaired. The president
| had proposed that the seniority
status of the returning strikers be
left to adjudication by the railroad
labor board.
Confer on Troop Removal
Joliet, ILL.,, Aug 12.-The arrival of
Adjutant General Black, coupled with
a midnight visit of brotherhood repre-.
sentatives to the camp, and a consuta-
tion Of union and rail chiefs of the E.,
j. & e. road today. was the only new
development in the local situation,
where 300 yardmen are awaiting the
removal of state troops before return
| ing to their work or for compromise
agreement.
Before entering the meeting with
road officials. a union representative
said the situation appeared rather "da.
| hious," but he was hopeful that tine
! controversy would be cleared today
| or tomorrow and that the men wouh1
! be working again Monday.
A permanent kitchen has been es-
tablished in the camp, which leads
local observers to believe that the
troops will hardly be removed.
| Whether Adjutant General Blacks
presence will aid in solving the loca
situation remains preblematicaE HE
will leave here today for Camp Logan
to attend a shoot. The team of five
men from the troops on duty here will
also go to that place.
Troops last night enjoyed their first
boxing show since they pitched camp.
The arrangements were made by
Chaplain O'Donnell.
Situation Becomes Grave.
Chicago, Aug. Nationwide para
ll 6iH VI Idllloutl u dI1opol Iii Cdl-
ened today as Big Four" brotherhood
men in various parts Of the country
called meetings to consider joining
the trainmen's walkout, which start
ed when crews tied up trans-contin-
entail Santa Fe trains in the Caff-
fornia and Arizona deserts and freight
traffic on the Elgin, Joliet and East
ern, outer belt line for the Chicago
steel shipping districts.
The walkout of trainmen spread to
other sections during the las TWEEN
ty-four hours. Switchmen joined en-
gineers, tremen, conductors and
brakement in protests against work
ing where troops, deputy United
States marshals and other guards were
on strike duty at former trouble CEN
ters.
Clerks on the Santa Fe coast lines
were authorized to walk off their jobs
if they considered conditions unsatis-
factory
The threatened tie-up of the nations
railways by a general walkout of train
men came as railroad heads who met
in New York prepared their reply to
President Hardings proposals for end
ing the shopmen's strike which began
July /, A committee representing the
executive heads of 14S railroads who
conditiolally accepted the presidents
proposals, planned to present their re-
ply to the White House today
Leaders of the striking shop crafts
and chieftain of the other railroad un.
ions continued their conferences in
Washington and were expected to
make known the outcome of their
meeting today.
Southern Pacific tiremen joined the
walkout tying up limited passenger
trains at Ogden, Utah.
Big Four Men Quit.
Officials of the Big Four train SER
vice brotherhoods on the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul, ordered a
walkout on the entire Milwaukee di-
vision of the road, early today, and
trainmen of the Chicago and North
western met to consider similar ac-
ton
Altho several Santa Fe passenger
trains held up by the strike at Cali
fornia points were backed into Los
Angeles other trans-continental trains
were stranded in the desert.
Train Marooned.
Passengers marooned at Seligman,
Ariz.. appealed to Santa Fe officials
to relieve them from their plight, de.
claring that women and children were
suffering. The plea was passed on to
brotherhood officials at Needles, Calf.
They were urged by the company to
consider the situation from a humani.
tartan" standpoint.
Passengers on the stranded trains
sweltered in the heat of the desert,
but many accepted their fate philoso-
phically and some wore blue bands
and their sleeves. signifying their SYM
pathy for the strikers. Embargoes on
fruit. livestock and other perishable