Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-05
EVENTS OF A WEEK.

rather than lessened by the failure, up to date, of the
Ipresident to bring about a reconciliation. After
several conferences with both strikers and their for
mer employees, and several cabinet sessions at which
the sub ject was discussed from many angles, the
president proposed to the two parties conditions
which, reduced to their lowest terms are: that the
! strikers return to work at the wages fixed by the
labor board, and against which the strike was called,
the board to grant rehearings on proper application;
both parties to be bound by the decisions of the
board hereafter; and the seniority rights formerly
enjoyed by the strikers to remain unimpalred.
X X + +
Inasmuch as rehearings could have been OBJ
tanned at any time on a proper showing, acceptance
of the wage proposal would restore the wage con-
ditions in protest against which the strike was
called, and would leave the situation just where it
was before the strike. The provision for acceptance
of the decisions of the board, if agreed to, would be
a Reputation by the strikers of their own act in re-
jecting the terms proposed by the board. And, had
no strike been called, no question of seniority rights
could have been raised.
The strike leaders have indicated their accept
ance Of the terms proposed. The railroads accept
all but the seniority provision, and this they say they
cannot accept without demoralizing their entire
working organization and committing an act of bad
faith against employees who have remained at work,
and new employees who have taken positions in re-
Spouse to the invitations of the arrangements and
the specific assurances that their own seniority
rights would be fully protected. "
Newspaper comment throughout the country
indicates a very general feeling that in making his
seniority suggestion the president has overlooked a
vital principle in his anxiety to have transportation
service restored to normal, in order, especially, that
the effects of the coal strike may be minimized as
much as possible. The railway managers say that
if it is definitely understood that there is to be no
yielding on the question of seniority, and if the gov
eminent abstains from urging this point and thus
creating false expectations in the minds of strikers
and prospective employees, the strike will speedily
fall to pieces of its own weight, and normal condi-
tons can quickly be restored. So far as there has
been opportunity to guage it public sentiment seems
to support this view, and to be- in favor of reaching
a definite and final understanding on this point, even
at the cost of some further transportation incon-
venience.
Railway authorities assert further that such in
adequacies as there are now in transportation are
more directly due to the coal strike than to the
shopmen's strike, and that if coal were available for
shipment and for the use of their locomotives they
could now distribute many times the volume of coal
that is likely to be offered for a long time, as well
as handle an immensely increased volume of general
traffic.
Declarations of the coal strike leaders that the
coal strike was just on the verge of settlement have
not been borne out. The surface indications do not
show that any progress has been made toward set
tlement during the past week. Some more mines
have been opened with outside labor, but the strike
situation itself remains unchanged, so far as can be
seen from the outside.
The government has made progress in the Gre
alton OF a coal distribution supervisory agency, and
under the direction of this body alllcoal shipments
are to be routed. Special attention is being given
to the needs of the northwest, and quite apart from
the railway strike there has been talk of the tenn
Al porary taking over by the government of two or
three of the principal coal carrying roads with
terminals at lake ports in order that the shipment
If coal to the upper lakes may be facilitated.
= = @
Congress has been deyoting its time to formal
tariff debate, with informal excursions into every
department of human knowledge and speculation.
Efforts have been made to reach an agreement on
the date for a vote, but on the last returns the two
parties were still two days apart, the Republicans
proposing August 10 and the Democrats standing
August u.
Interest was aroused in international circles BY
Ae publication of a letter addressed by Lord Bal
fn1ar,, British foreign secretary, to the European Al
liea powers on the subject of war debts The Brit
iis& hf secfetary declares it TO be the conviction bf his
81 GDcvefnfnent that a general cancellation would be in
intefest Of mankind, sbpt, recognizing the fact
%44mtsfhs limited States cannot see its way clear to
&Ss}6Sitkn III this process, Great Britain cannot under
fafkesabsolute cancellation She III prepared, how
SAe eS1 10 limit the demands which she viii make 10
al1&p6s< msde ~ the United sStates Upon her. the iatter
yghich she will nake arrangenents rs paya Ttis
M I66S1e1swas moi addfcssed TO the United States, bot
S53t1Mis4h - inhe subject j. one inswlich the United
l1tee i'll encnEseesnped copy ~ tFanslnitteds q
~ d 1ee t6hS y matter 81 oustesJ3Ncannounee
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