New-York tribune., 1922-08-15
tcontinusd from pege one)

colleagues We shall consider to-mor-
row morning whether we will ask the
executives for, another conf or
ask to meet "a committee of their num-
ber. -s".,
Mr.. Sheppard emphasized again the
position of the brotherhood group, that
the vital issue at stake in the strike
is not alone seniority, but the funda-
mental right Of the men to strike. He
made it clear that the union leaders
are extremely anxious to impress this
point upon the country, and it Is to be
assumed that full presentation of this
viewpoint to the President was an i'm
Right TO Strike Supreme Issued,
1--WE are trying to make everybody
realize" Mr.. Sheppard said, that the
fundamental rights of the men on
strike are at ST. ke."
Board has laid down the principle that
workers who strike against the
boards decision sever their con-
nection with the service and are
removed from those classes of en-
ployes who are entitled to consider
alton by the board. While some legal
authority supports this position, Mr..
Sheppard continued, other eminent
counsel support the unions in the posi-
tion that the men so striking suffer
merely suspension of their rights, the
restoration of which Is contingent up
on whether they return to service. The
position of the Railroad Labor Board,
he said, applies only to illegal strikes
and not to strike like the current one.
He pointed out that in the Senate the
anti strike provision of the Esch- Cum
Minis Act originally proposed was
stricken out, proving it to have been
the intention of the drafters of the
act that strikes should not be pre-
vented by threat Of penalty. In other
words, Mr.. Sheppard went on, the Rail
road Labor Board is trying to do by
Interpretation what the trainers OF the
act refused to do by legislation when
they declined to enact an anti-strike
clause.
",rhe President assured u.s." Mr..
Sheppard added, "that both sides will
get the same consideration under the
law. Referring to the Railroad Labor
Boards possible reconsideration of the
case, MIR. Harding himself has been
impartial at all times in dealing with
u.s."
Mr.. Sheppard said that the spread of
sporadic strikes locally on the part
of members of the non-striking unions,
who have charged that faulty equip
ment endangered their lives, was not
discussed with the President. He added
that Mr.. Harding did not expect men
to take out and operate dangerous
equipment The brotherhoods, he said,
are doing everything possible to pre-
vent these walkouts, and already have
| representatives on the way to the
scene Of the difficulty in the West,
Jhar t,-a1 I, tot h,vt
refusal of crews to operate.
Denies Desert Stranding
"This newspaper account of trains
being abandoned in the desert is, sheer
est. bunk" said Mr.. Sheppard. "Those
trains were taken to the division ter
minals. There wasn't any 'palatial
| hotel and the temperature was not
pleasant, but it was division headquar-
tiers, such as those where the railroad
men themselves live. The trains were
not left out in the desert. 1t has al
ways been our policy in any strike to
I take trains to the terminals before
! leaving them"
| Asked for general expression of
| judgment as to the prospect, MIR. Shep-
pard smiled and said:
| 81 have been in deep water before,
but always got to shore. don't know
this time or not
Those who participated in the White
House conference were Secretary of
Labor Davis; Warren S.. Stone. of the
engineers; Mr. Sheppard, for the con-
ductors; w. N. Doak, Of the trainmen;
| D. B. Robinson, of the firemen; T. G.
Cashen, of the switchmen; E. j. Man
| ion, Of the telegraphcrs; E. &. Grable,
of the maintenance of way men; j. G.
Lnhrsen, of the train dispatchers; D..
W, Helt, of the signal men.
Southern Breaks With Men
| MIR. Harrison, of the Southern Rail-
way. said: Every effort has been
made 50 TO operate our property that
our men could honorabiy return to
work. Every effort has been made to
settle with our men; we have gone
to the extent Of Offering. the terms
that they had previously agreed to