The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-07-28
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright by The Intelligencer.)

Washington, July 27.- Presl'
dental influence viii settle the
rail strike within the next forty
eight hours.
Conferences between President
Harding and T. Dewitt Cuyler,
chairman of the association OF
railway executives, on the ono
hand, and b. NJ. Jewell and repre-
,entatives of the shop crafts
Qnions on the other, have proceed
I'd to the point where acceptance
Of a formula for a settlement can
not be long delayed
Briefly, the President wants the
men to go back to work and the
railroads to take them back with
the understanding that rehearings
will be given on matters already
in dispute before the United
States railroad labor board, and
with the further agreement that
the seniority rights problems will
be left for future determination
To Evade Precedent
In other words, the process would
be this: The workmen would return
to work and ask that their seniority
rights be restc d Naturally the rail.
roads, to be consistent. would refuse
to grant the request. This would I'M
mediately become dispute within the
meaning of the transportation act,
and tue labor board would get Jurts-
diction over the matter.
II the labor board should subse-
Quently decide that the seniority
question had arisen after the present
strike began and was not really an
issue before that and II the board
should grant the restoration Of senior
ity rights without making the decision
precedent for future cases, all Of
which would have to stand on their
own bottom, the railroads will be
bound to accept the findings Of the
labor board.
Unfortunately. some Of the dect
sions OF the board have not been re-
spected In the past by the railroads.
but there Is every reason to believe
that President Harding will make an
effort to enhance the prestige Of tbs
board by securing even at this late
date obedience to the boards decision
on the part Of the railroads.
Presidents Diplomacy.
Mr.. Harding has tried to maneuver
the situation without attempting to
influence the labor boards actions,
but occasions for guidance have
arisen which have direct bearing on
the settlement OF the rail strike, and
the President is using his powers OF
persuasion to bring about a cnmpro-
mise which will ostensibly be the &C
ton Of the labor board, but really the
policy Of the administration
Mr.. Cuyler, who represents the las
railroad executives who operate
Americas railroads, has jobs on his
hands trying to reconcile the various
viewpoints OF eastern and western
roads, but the impression after he left
the White House was that the situa.
ton had reached point where Mr..
Cuylers leadership was essential to a
settlement.
Bearing on Coal Strike.
AS for the coal strike, the President
feels that he will have a better
chance to tackle that situation again
possibly with a new conference be-
tween miners and operators, II the
rail strike Is brought to a peaceful
ending. John l. Lewis published
statement that he Is ready for a
"joint conference" Is regarded as sig
nificant, for he did not limit the con-
ference to specific sections or require
that all operators be represented. He
made no limitations. The adminlstra'
ton finds itself moro or less fatigued
from previous efforts TO do something
through a conference with miners and
operators, but the situation has grown
acute since the disputants were on
the White House carpet, and the be
lief prevails that a change Of attitude
and a compromising disposition now
may be apparent where no symptoms
of reconciliation were visible a week
ago. Altogether, the two strike sltua'
tions look as II they might be settled