The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-05
'HARDING'S
PLAN REJECTED
BY EXECUTIVES

1uSe 20 agree TO
Settle Strike on the
Terms Proposed by
President
New York, Aug. l (By the Asso-
ciated Press. - Railway eXacu-
tives of the nation today firmly
but courteously rejected the pro-
gram advanced by the Harding ad-
ministration for the settlement OF
the rail strike. Willing to accept
conditionally two suggestions put
forward by the White House
that both sides abide by wage de-
cisions of the railroad labor board
and that law suits springing out OF
the strike be withdrawn-the heads
of 14S roads declared emphatical-
ly that it was impossible to rein
states strikers with unimpaired Sc
niority rights, the third provision
of the presidents plan.
After being told by Robert S.
Lovett of the Union Pacific that
there was no moral or practical
reason for budging from their po-
sition, the executives disbanded,
caught the first trains for their re-
spective headquarters and indieat-
ed that they We're going ahead and
would operate their roads with
forces they had assembled since
the shopmen walked out on July
lst.
The decision not to yield on the
question of seniority was made
known to the White House by tele-
graph after the rail heads had lis
tened to a 20 minute address by
Secretary of Commerce Hoover
who, as direct representative OF
the president, told them in effect
that the administration held the
seniority question Of minor import
ance in comparison with that OF
upholding the railroad labor
board. This action was taken in
the face of a letter from President
Harding addressed to T. Dewitt
Cuyler, chairman Of the Ameri-
can. Association of Railway Execu-
tives. embodying the terms OF
agreement, as I understand them,
upon which the railway managers
and United shop crafts workers are
to agree preliminary to calling Off
the existing strike"
Pesident Harding had closed his
letter with these two sentences:
81 need hardly add that / have
reason to believe these terms will
be accepted by the workers. II
there is good reason why the man
ayers can not accept. they will be
obligated to open direct negotiations
or assume full responsibility for the
situation
In addition Secretary Hoover had
urged upon the executives at their
meeting when the text of the
Harding letter was read, that set
tlement of the rail strike was inn
perative in view Of the complicat-
ing conditions introduced by the
coal strike.
1t became apparent from the
very opening of today's conference
that the seniority question would
be the wedge which would divide
administration and railway execu-
tiyes. After setting forth the
reasons why they held this an in
surmountable obstacle, the rail
road chiefs ended their reply tc
President Harding as follows:
1T is submitted that the strik-
ing former employees can not be
given preference to employees al
present in the services without do.
ing violence to every principle oi
right and justice involved in this
matter and without the grossest
breach of faith on the part of the
railroads to the men at present ir
their serice. Under these circum.
stances it becomes apparent that
the railroads can not consider
any settlement OF the presen,
strike whieh does not provide pro
lection in their present employ
ment, both to the loyal employees
who remained in the service and tc
the new employees entering it."
The only question which arose
during the short period during
which the presidents proposal was
under active discussion was how
emphatically the the reply reject.
ing his plan should be worded.
In the balloting each road was
given one vote for each Loco miles
of track it operates. Tne reply
drafted during the noon recess by
the standing committee. was adopt.
ed by a vote Of 265 to ,.
TLis. however, represented unani-
nous dfsapproval Of the president:
plan, the two dissenting votes be-
ing cast by L. F. Loree. chairman
Of the Eastern conference, repre-
senting the Delaware & Hudson
and the Kansas City Southern with
the explanation that he wished the
seniorityy proposal turned down
even more deciaively.
Only two roads operating in the
United States We're not reported
represented at today's conference
They were the Atlanta. Birmingham
& Atlantic and the Gulf & Shil
Island. both OF which We're de-
clared to have been unaffected by
the shop craft strike.
President A. II. Smith OF the New