New-York tribune., 1922-08-26
All Negotiations Dropped
After Shopcraft Chiefs
Reject Peace Proposal
Arranged by Mediators
Offered Jobs and
Old Pension Rights
Big A. Leaders Abandon
Efforts ; Denounce Talk
of sympathetic Strike

The last hope of an immediate
settlement of the railroad shipments
strike was wrecked yesterday when
the negotiations between the minor
ity group of railway executives and
the Big Four Brotherhood media.
tors were broken off. 1t was thought
that if some understanding could be
reached individually with the roads
in this group, comprising about 80
per cent Of the mileage of the coun-
try, it might pave the way for some
sort of national agreement.
When the final terms proposed by
the railroad heads were pronounced
unacceptable to the workers the
railway chiefs and mediators agreed
that further conferences were use
less, and so informed their associ-
ates. Daniel Willard, president OF
the Baltimore G. Ohio, issued state
ment outlining the /hopelessness Of
the situation and with other execu.
tives left for his home.
Union Heads Go Home
Bert M. Jewell, head of the railway
employees division of the American
Federation of Labor, and the "Bis
-Four" brotherhood leaders, who served
as mediators for the striking shopmen
also departed. The controversy thus
has settled down to finish fight.
Before departing for his headquar
ters in Chicago Mr.. Jewell said he
believed that the executives who hat
fingered for the final parleys on in
dividual settlements would soon be en-
abled "to bring home to their hard
boiled colleagues the railroad situa
tion in it's grim realities"
"We shall be content to let the con
dition of equipment prove that the
railroads cannot operate with unskillet
strike breakers" Mr.. Jewell added
"We can and will fight for our terms
and for nationwide settlement"
The policy committee of ninety, ir
direct charge of the shipments walk
out, then sent full statement of the
negotiations and final orders to the
strikers all over the country, calling
upon them to renew the struggle with
redoubled vigor.
No Lack of Cars, Roads Insist
The railroads predict that the strike
will be matter of history within tive
or three weeks, that they will have
normal forces at work in their shops
by that time, and that they will have
the necessary cars ready to move crops
and coal with the coming of fall.
The peace proposal over which the
last lances were broken revolved about
the question of the restoration Of Sc
niority rights to the strikers. It of
fered pledge by the roads interested
in. individual settlements to find EN-
ployment for all strikers not convicted
of acts of violence; not to curtail pen
sion rights "or other privileges" ant
the promise to submit to commission
Of ten brotherhood leaders and railway
executives all disputes which coult
not be settled by direct conference
The strikers, who from the first have
stood against individual settlements
and who contended that the brother,
hood leaders had no authority to make
any such arrangements, rejected this
proposal with the explanation that il
did not guarantee seniority privileges
to the men who might return to the
shops of the minority group Of lines
and that it would destroy the effec
tiveness Of the strike on the other
lines.
When the brotherhood chiefs were
appraised Of the shipments stand they
issued statement in which they SCI
forth that they considered further eff
forts futile, and that they had nothing
more to suggest to bring about an ad
justment. They then withdrew as me
diators and prepared to return to theil
respective headquarters.
Railroads Explain Terms
In presenting the railroad version
of the proceedings Mr.. Willard sale
that the executives disclaimed any
desire to take advantage of the strike
situation to curtail "the pension an6
other privileges" which had beer
earned by the strikers before quitting
and expressed a willingness to restore
all strikers with pension privileges
unimpaired.
The executives said they felt al
liberty to do so, as it, did not inipai1
the rights or privileges of the othel
roads not participating in the con
ferences. They added that If any un
settled disputes remained which coult
not. be adjusted by direct conference
they were willing to submit these
lcontlHled on next psse)