New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-02

nisely lost to the men on the lines
which have so FAR been most success
fal In keeping UP normal service and
that The unions will be compelled TO
make individual settlements on the
carriers most seriously affected Two
roads in this section, the Erie and the
Baltimore q Ohio, offered to come to
terms with their ovn men last month,
and others, it is thought, are likely to
make similar offers before September
i. If these are accepted by the shop
men the strong roads will be freed from
the danger of drain upon their roll
ing stock to keep the weaker lines in
operation and, they believe, freed from
the general public censure which would
fall upon the carriers if transportation
Is seriously crippled.
In brief, the strong roads yesterday
carried the weak with them in hold
ing out against government pressure.
Union Welcomes Open Fight
The union reaction here to the action
OF the executives was prompt and con-
else.
1--WE can win more in sn open fight
than by negotiation and compromises"
declared John j. Dowd, chairman of
the central strike committee here. f'The
vote of the executives suits us per-
fectly, though, in the interests of the
start to negotiate"
He followed, this with the charge
that the carriers are now in open re-
volt against the government and gave
Q long list of yesterdays delays on the
Pennsylvania and the New York Gem
trail to prove that the fighting so far
has gone to the strikers.
The executives acted apparently on
tho basis of prearranged agreement
Sal UaS IN ho&
sious they would he willing to make,
for committee was appointed to draft
o reply to President Harding as soon
as Secretary of Commerce Hoover had
spoken for about twenty minutes, am
plifying the statements made by Mr.
Harding in the letter transmitting his
plan to the roads. Three or four ex-
ecutives spoke on the strength of the
carriers position and the injustice Of
going back on their loyal men before
Mr.. Hoover arrived, and while the re-
ply was being drawn up a dozen or so
more informal speeches Of similar
character were made. The committees
draft was then accepted almost with
out comment.
The dissenting votes were cast by
L. r. Loree, chairman of the eastern
Delaware q Hudson, and the Kansas
City Southern. Mr.. Loree explained
that ne was in full accord with the
others so far as they went, but felt
that they had not taken a strong
enough stand on the seniority issue.
Too Late for Concessions
1t was to this last proposal that
the strikers be taken back en- masse
and unchastened that two-thirds Of the
reply sent to the White House was
devoted. The attitude of the roads was
that too much water has flowed under
the bridge since July l to make con-
cessions on this point possible, even
II it were desirable from every angle.
The executives declared that the Ad-
ministration's proposal on this issue
was merely another way Of suggesting
that the men who in good faith took
positions in the shops, relying on the
promise of the roads that their JOBS
would be protected be sacrificed in
favor of those who are now on strike.
They declared that the Encouragement
and decentralization of the supervisory
forces would result from their inability
to live up to the pledges which the
companies authorized them to make to
their present subordinates, and this
would be far more disastrous than the
present or any other strike. They
quoted from Labor Board uterances and
from CHalTHldn hooper W support
their position and declared that the
maintenance Of the boards authority
demanded that they stand firm.
President Harding, in urging that
the strikers be taken back with rights
unmpaired, admitted the difficulty
which the roads would meet in dealing
with their new clen, but he added that
this would be the only obstacle 10 it's
acceptance. He made no other COM
ment, and Mr.. Hoover, in expressing
the views of the Administration on the
settlement plan, said that at the White
House the matter of establishing the
supremacy of the Labor Board is con-
sfdered so much more important than
any other phase of the situation that
the government does not consider
seniority a real Issue even.
Available reports on what was said
behind the closed doors of the meet
ing indicated, on the other hand, that
the carriers consider seniority an issue
outweighing all the disputed points
over which the shipment went out.
One speaker declared that the real
point Is now whether the roads or the
this question would be settled in favor
of the men IL they are taken back en-
masse. A. II. Smith, president of the
New York Central, declared that to
take the strikers back would make dis
cipline impossible and precipitate a
walk-out of the supervisory forces
which would far exceed in seriousness
that whose crisis, he said, had now been
posed. He laid 400 kilograms from
foremen and managers on the table and
declared that each contained threat
ened resignation conditioned on the
roads standing firm on seniority
Others who spoke along the same line
added to the pile.
Seek Public Reaction
In the reply sent to the White House
nothing was said which could be con-
strued as deliberate loophole for the
continuance of government mediation
in the strike, and most of the delegates
left town within an hour of the close
Fof the conference. last night execu-
tives still here seemed to feel that
they had "done it' and to be intense
iy anxious to learn what the reaction
of the public toward their step will be
The union heads expressed no such
doubt.
"This final act of the executives
means a clear-cut victory for the shop
craft workers. they declared. From
now on public opinion will be solidly
behind rs. The government is even
more deeply committed than before
TO bring aoout an early settlement The
morale of our men will be immensely
strengthened.