The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-07-28
MAJOR LINES
TO Send MEN
TO MEETING
Hope to Discover Some Basis
Upon Which Nationwide
Strike May Be Settled.
SETTLEMENT STILL HANGS
ON SENIORITY QUESTION
Harding Holds Numerous Meet
ings With Both Railroad and
Labor Men Present.

! WASHINGTON. July PA meet
ing Of executives of the 14S major rail-
roads Of the United States will be call
ed in New York next Tuesday to con-
slider a plan of settling the strike now
In progress, I. Dewill Cuyler. chair
man OF the association of railway ex-
ecutlVes announced tonight after
conference with President Harding.
Mr.. Cuyler added, however. that no
definite basis for a strike settlement
was ready to be placed before the
meeting. His conference with the pres
ident tonight, he said. had been devot-
ed to a general survey of the situation.
Tentative Plan
While Mr.. Cuyler was positive in his
statement that the basis for the pro-
posed settlement of the strike had not
been definitely drawn up, earlier re-
ports indicated that at least a tenta-
tive plan had resulted from the con-
ferences held during the day between
President Harding and leaders of the
various railroad labor groups.
President Harding has made no
specific request TO the railroad execu-
tives, Mr.. Cuyler said, when asked If
the question of seniority rights had
been brought forward at the confer
ence with view to influencing some
railroads to reconsider their stand
against returning these rights to strik-
ing shopmen.
Abeyanee in Balance
The executives chairman said be
was unable to fortell whether action
in the strike situation would be held
in allegiance until the New York meet
ing. The four day delay was necessary
he explained in order that representa-
tives of railroad managements might
all get to the meeting place.
Ringing on Seniority
1t was considered possible that the
Baltimore and Ohio plan might have
been used as a basis for the tentative
suggestions developed in today's meet
ings.
A cOnsidera BILE number OF railroa DIS
have been willing to return strikers
their seniority positions in considera-
tion of a general calling off of the
strike. but others, including the Penn
sylvania System and roads in the
southwest have flatly refused to do so.
declaring that it meant dismissal Of
men employed to take the strikers
places, and demotion of men who re-
mained in service when others went
out.
All Must concede
The position of the union heads who
met with President Harding today was
understood to be that all railroads
must concede the seniority point, ac-
cepting the return of all the strikers.
1t was asserted that the proposition OF
calling off the strike orders even
though all but two or three of the
major roads yielded on seniority had
not been discussed. This left the inti-
nation that President Harding would
bring pressure upon the executives Of
those lines as a part of the strike set
tlement endeavor
Want Rehearing
The whole seniority question has
arisen since the strike was called it
was pointed out. A cut in wages made
effective July l. under an arbitration
award of the labor board was the only
question on which the men walked out,
and this would be accepted in the con-
templated return to work, subject only
to a rehearing which might be grant
ed.
The importance attributed to the
seniority issue at today's meeting was
connected by some observers with the
stand known TO nave deem bdhcH Ds
certain of President Harding's cabinet
advisers who are said to have urged
that he use every influence to have the
railroads reconsider their refusal to
restore seniority rights to strikers.
Use Persuasion
With the strikers back and the
machine again in nor
nal motion. these advisers have argu-
I'd, the other issues in the controversy
could and probably would be left 10
arbitration.
Local participants to the presidents
conference had the impression that
President Harding intended to per-
suade railroad executives to yield on
The seniority point rather than to use
md forcible means.
The proposal that the president
night ask congress for further legal
authority through the labor board or
,ther boards To enforce his plans OF
settlement apparently did not come in
% the discussion at today's meeting.