New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-02
Capital Waits
Harding Next
Move i'm Strike
limitations of Federal Con-
troll Recalled as Roads
Refusal of His Program
Is Laid Before President
Coal Emergency Pressing
Supremacy of Labor Board
Held Superior TO Settle
ment of Seniority Issue

WASHINGTON, Aug (By The AS
| sociated Press) president Harding
| had the rail strike problem back or
his hands tonight as result Of the
refusal of the railway executives, at
their meeting in New York, to accept
the Administration settlement plan Sc
far as tho seniority issue is concerned
There was no indication at the White
House as to what move, IL any, the
government planned to make in the
situation. It was considered probable
that Mr.. Harding would study care
fully the text of the executives reply
and that expected from the labor
leaders meeting, in Chicago, before
reaching decision.
Tone of Replies a Factor
The tone Of the replies and the cir
cumstances under which they were
made, it was indicated at the White
House, undoubtedly would guide Mr..
Harding 10 some extent, and there was
another intimation that publicity would
not always be helpful in the difficult
and delicate negotiations into which
the Administration has been drawn by
the industrial situation.
From the government viewpoint, the
railroad strike Is regarded as 'mme-
diately serious only because of the ex-
listing stoppage OF coal production, and
there have been constant intimatons
that the Administration would be dis
posed to force quick settlement Of
the railroad difficulties in order to
eto
the cost Of re-establishment of the
former control Of railroads
Cabinet members and associates of
the President have sharply emphasized
the contrast between their view Of the
Seniority issue" and that taken-by the
railroad executives as expressed in
public statements. Public statements
of railroad heads that the granting of
the strikers demands for a return of
full seniority rights would necessitate
the discharge of scores Of thousands
of efficient workers hired to take their
places have been fatty denied in in
formal discussions with newspaper cor
respondents, said to be exaggerated
and otherwise stamped as unreliable
1t has been further represented in some
government quarters that such men as
have been hired would not generally be
of character and capacity which
would make them suitable as perma-
nent employees.
That this was the Presidents view
was further indicated by the proposals
transmitted to the union and the ex-
ecutives' meetings, in that on the
crucial point of seniority rights the
proposals would give the strikers g
more complete rehabilitation in the
service than was suggested in any OF
the unofficial summaries made public
In advance. The Presidents view OF
the situation, it was said, was that the
acknowle dgment by the railroad world
of the supremacy of the Railroad Labor
Board was the chief object Of the
government, at the moment.
May Make Decisions Binding
The possibility that new legislation
would be sought in Congress as re.
suit Of the strike test of the trans
portation act, which would make the
Labor Boards decisions binding anc
penalize violations of them by either
employees or employers, was AGAR
suggested in official circles to-day
Chairman Hooper of the Railroad
Labor Board was expected to argue fol
increases of the boards power before
! Congressional committees when the
| issue came up.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has been constantly in touch with
the actual status of the strike through
its safety inspection division, which
checks up on the sufficiency of repair.
given to locomotives and rolling stocl
and through continuous reports made
to the commission by men at work il
all departments Of Class l roads