The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-07-17
NO
|NRA|LWAY STRIKE
HURIING OF CHALLENGES,
UITIMATUM AND DEF1-
IANCES APPARENTLY ENDS
THROUGH EXHAUSTION OR
HOPE OF SETTLEMENT.

Chicago, July 16.-A veil OF
silence descended like a blanket
over the railway strike situation
today as both railroad heads and
strike leaders turned hopeful eyes
toward the momentous develop
ments the new week was expected
to bring forth.
The bitterness which has mark
ed the progress of the walkout at
times during the past two weeks,
seemed to have been succeeded by
a peace almost tapproching an un-
derstanding. The hurting of verbal
challenges, claims and counter
claims, ulimatums and defances,
apparently had ended through ex-
haustion or the hope of an early
agreement.
Railroad executives who declared
their willingness last night to at
tend any meeting called by the
United States railroad labor board
with a view to effecting a settle
ment 'ethat would not nullify, but
would uphold and carry out the
boards DECISIONS" spent the holi-
day away from their Offices and in
seclusion.
B. M. Jewell, leader of the strik-
ing shopmen, visited his almost de-
serted headquarters for short
time only to run through his mail
and telegrams. He read the railroad
= executives statement with a quiet
grin, but refused - comment On It
"There will be nothing over the
weekend" he said.
81 can't say word, son-not a
word" Ben Hooper, chairman of
the labor board, sighed wearily,
throwing his arm across the shoul-
der of the reporter who had found
him alone in the offices of the
board.
Despite the silence of the lead
ers, with accompanying rumors Of
tacit armistice or truce to allow
fuller consideration of points
brought out during the week at
conferences, hopes of an early set
Element were expressed freely in
both railway and labor quarters,
although no tangible basis for
these expectations was given in any
case.
One of the factors most often
quoted to justify a belief that the
drift was toward peace, despite the
failure last week of Mr.. Hooper's
efforts to bring the labor leaders
and the executives together, was
the statement of R. A. Henning,
general chairman Of the federated
shop crafts of the Northwest, that
only the refusal of Eastern roads to
agree to reinstate striking shop
crafts workers with their full
seniority rights is preventing a
settlement Of the strike so far as
the Northwest roads are concerned.
The railroads throughout, it was
declared have insisted that their
men return to work as one of the
first steps toward peace, and the
belief was expressed that the
restoration of the rights sought
would not alone be a great stunrb-
ling block. In this connection it was
asserted that the roads had to a
large extent stopped recruiting
men to replace strikers.
On the other questions at issue
outside contracting for shop work
modification of certain rules and
working agreements, the establish
ment of Cancellation boards and
wages-it was declared that most
of the roads had already agreed to
abolishfng outside contracting as OF
dered by the labor board and to es.
tablishing early the cancellation
boards under the federal transpor-
tation act. Thus, but two questions
it was asserted, were now at issue
rules and wages both of which
might again be brought before the