The Washington herald., 1922-08-14
PARLEY.
Presidents Effort Baked
By Failure to Solve
Seniority Issue.
BOTH SIDES WANT
FIGHT TO FINISH
Shopmen Rely on Broth
erhoOd Aid to Win
Their Struggle.


The Presidents latest efforts to
settle the railroad strike have failed.
The pledge tc secrecy imposed on
each side of the controversy has
been broken by the White House.
and the details of the last forty
eight hours conference are now re-
vealed.
1. A committee OF the railroad
executives. headed by T. Dewitt
Cuy,er. president Of the Association
of Railway Executives, submitted a
conditional acceptance Of Mr.. Hard
ings seniority proposal to the
President and were asked to re-
main in Washington pending de-
cisfon Of the striking shop men.
2. The striking shop men sub
mitted their rejection Of the Presi-
dents seniority proposal. and left
their case to the Big -Four" rail-
road brotherhood leaders for
further agreement
Reject Arbitration Plan
g. The big -Four" leaders then
invited the executives TO a join.
conference and submitted a plan OF
strike settlement-saidt 20 have had
White House inspiration-throUE
an impartial tribunal. composed OF
three members. one appointed Ey
the strikers. one by the executives
and one by President Harding. The
plan was turned down unqualified
ly by the executives.
a. The executives visited Presi-
dent Harding yesterday and in
formed him that they had turned
down the impartial tribunal plan
Upon receipt of this information.
the President revoked the pledge
of secrecy.
Hence. the score Of the White
House Intervention in the railroad
strike is even: one acceptance and
one rejection Of the :wo proposals
by each side.
Three Courses Remain
Now three alternatives are LEFT
the President in the present
emergency:
First-To ask Congress for au-
thority to take over the railroads.
Second-To let the striking shop
men and the executives fight il out
between themselves.
Third-To consult with his Cab
met and leaders in Congress as
to a possible third peace offer.
Present indications point to
choice of the second alternative.
The spokesman for the railroad
! executives. late yesterday. made Il
clear that they thought further
! Presidential Intervention in rfe
strike would not help matters. and
would be distasteful to them The
] are convinced the strike will be
settled either by surrender Of the
strikers. by employment Of SUI
ficient strikebreskers 70 keep
train service up to normal. or by
government seizure Of the roads.
Expect BIg -Four Hacking.
The strikers. according to their
I spokesman. are willing to fight IL
out with the executives on the
assumption that sufficient strike
breakers cannot be employed and
that they will be backed in their
/ fight by the Big Four" brother
1 hoods. whose members will con-
tinue their refusal TO operate de-
/ fective locomotives.
With the prospect of further
I presidential action regarded as re-
mote, the committee OF railroad
executives. headed by Cuyler. left
The Big -Four" brotherhood
leaders are remaining for a further
Conference today with Bert NJ. Jew
ell. leader Of the striking shopmen.
and his chief executives. The out
come OF this conference may be a
/ declaration by the brotherhoods
refusing to run at, least fifty per
cent of the country's 10000 loco
motives-which they contend are
now UNFIT for service. due TO lack
of repairs during the seven weeks
I of the shopcrafts tie-up. AlthouEa
this declaration would not be an
svowed sympathetic strike. its i'm
| plication and enforcement would
amount to practically the same
thing.
Rail Heads CONFIDENT.
The executives have assured Mr..
Harding thai normal transporta-
tion could be maintained for a year
to come without turning a hand
to repair a single car or locomo-
tive.
Based on this latter contention,
the crux OF the railroad executives
conditional acceptance OF the Pres
ident's seniority proposal = sup
ported, IL was said. by approx
mately three-quarters Of the mile
age" and providing for re-em-
ployment of striking shopcrsftss
men-was this:
That their acceptance Involves no
surrender of the principles with re-
fspect to seniority adopted by the car
riers on August 1. 1922. but recog-
nizes that the proposal OF the Presi-
dent invokes the jurisdiction of The
Labor Board under the transports-
ton act to pass upon the relative
seniority OF those loyal employees who
have remained at work and those
new employees who have since sc-
cepted sery.ce (the rights Of each OF
which classes to seniority we fsri
bound In Justice to defend before las
Labor BoardD with the strikers who
may re-enter the service under the
lproposal OF the President"
The minority report. representative
roads having i5l.2z2 miles.
The minority report. represetative
Of 57.a1. miles. stipulated that all
strikers will be re-employed where
vacancies exist. and that when theec
mei have been ASSIGNED 70 1obs cues-
conttsseG on Paos rspo.