Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-08-14
President Decides to Let Railroads and Strikers Fight
The Issue Out For The Present-Officlals
Looking to BrOtherhOodS For Future
Developments
Statement to he Issued Next Week-COmmttee From
Unions Remains In Washington For Further
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Is Non
COmmittal

The brotherhood leaders to whom the
striking shopmen have entrusted
their case may make known their
policy today.
The foregoing constitutes the pres
ent program Of the administration 1t
was learned today following the col
lapse last night of the negotiations
between railroad executives, leaders
of the is railroad unions and the
administration on the second Hard
ing peace proposal.
Conditional acceptance of this plan
was made by the railroad executives,
the shop crafts leaders literally re-
iected 1t, and thru the heads of the
Big Brotherhoods and the other rail-
road union heads asked the eXecu-
tives TO place the case in the hands
of an impartial tribunal, other than
the railroad labor board.
This suggestion was rejected.
It. was strongly intmated that
President Harding. realizing that the
strikers were reluctant to place the
seniority question in the hands of
the railroad labor board because it
had inferentially committed itself on
the matter. originated the idea for
another impartial tribunal.
The executives made public the
text Of a majority and minority re-
port. both signifying conditional ac-
ceptance: 1he former stating 1t in
volved no surrender of the principles
Of seniority adopted by the carriers of
August ] the latter reserving the
right to take the board decisions into
the courts.
J.. E. Sheppard, president of the
Order of Railway Conductors, spokes-
man for the labor leaders, refused to
make public the text of the shop
crafts leaders reply or the communi-
cation OF the general conference to
the White House. II was made known
however that the shop crafts lead
ers rejected the proposal.
Sheppard said that he felt the door
still was open for further negotia-
tions. A committee of labor heads
will remain in Washington to "medI-
ate between the president and the
strikers" Sheppard said.
A spokesman for the railroad ex-
ecutiveS stated that transportation
can be maintained near normal for
another year in spite Of the strike,
while the union leaders hold that To-
comotives and other equipment are
deterioiatirg so rapidly that service
is on the brink of decentralization.
The railroad unions leaders left the
White House at six o'clock, three and
a half hours after they went into
conference with the President.
Sheppard. who was elected as
spokesman for the group, stated that
he had his colleagues pointed out to
Mr.. Harding the difficulties Of keep
ing their men at work as a result
of the strike They told the Presi-
dent that the men refused to work
with defective equipment and they
feared for their lives in the shops and
other properties and from the armed
guards.
The union leaders offered to act as
mediators between the President and
the striking shopcraft men and any
body else" Sheppard stated. Shep-
pard indicated that union leaders had
suggested means of settlement to
the President, but he refused to re-
veal the nature Of the proposal. Mr..
Harding indicated that he would hold
further conferences with the union
leaders and they decided to leave a
committee Of four or five here to carry
on any suggestions the President may
make.
Shappard appealed TO the news
papers Of the country to handle
strike news "conservatively," and to
steer away from sensationalism. In
making the request Sheppard said he
was speaking for the President as
well as for the union leaders.
Sheppard said that the shopmen
had left their case in the hands Of the
Big Four Brotherhood, and that their
answer to the President which was
sent to the White House today would
be made public by them, with an ac-
companying statement early next
week Ask as TO whether he felt hope
ful Of a settlement as result Of the
conference with the President today.
Sheppard said that he did not wish
TO reDly for fear Of creating false
IMPRESSION on the public.
New York, Aug. 1l.-Twenty thou
sand maintenance Of way men Of the
Erie and Pennsylvania Lines here
want to quit work today, they warned
their national president in a tele-
gram dispatched last night in which
they alleged the two companies have
shown bad faith in observing an
agreement made July for avert
ing a strike.
Action Of the men was taken with
out any previous announcement.
Frederick D. Underwood, President
of the Erie commenting on the way-
mems action. declared his officials
never had refused to confer with their
own employees.
eve wont lose six men," Under
wood declared.