The New York herald., 1922-06-30
Board Believes It Can
Keep Orderly Course
Under the Trans
portation Act.
ULTIMATUM SPURNED
Roads Tell Shopmen They
Contemplate a Strike
Against U. S.
DTANFE DrSTC ON TuEM
BLAME RESTS ON THEM
rejection Of Authority Will
Continue Charge on the
Producing Public.'

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HEsALD.
CHICAGO, June 29.-Chairman Ben
Hooper Of the United States Railroad
Labor Board said tonight that he did
not believe there would be a railroad
strike Saturday
Mr.. Hooper, it was learned, has held
extended conferences with both union
and railroad executives In the last two
days.
Mr.. Hooper said that while certain
classes of railroad employees had sus-
tained wage reductions their remu-
neration was in keeping with other
lines of industrial endeavor.
There was strong belief here to-
night that Chairman Hooper's state
ment will pave the way to break the
deadlock existing between the car
riers and the shop workers. The Santa
Fe, Southern Pacific and Burlington
roads agreed recently to cancel the
farming out" contracts, and board
members believe that other roads will
consent to make the same concession.
Other members of the board said
they felt confident the impending
strike of 100000 shopmen would be
averted when the rail executives and
the union officials were brought face
to face tomorrow when they appear
before 1t.
The Labor Board has ordered ex-
ecutives OF six crafts unions that have
called strike for Saturday, leaders
Of four other unions now voting on
the issue and executives Of twenty
three railroads involved to meet to-
morrow afternoon with the board in a
Federal inquiry into the matters IN
dispute.
The board believes 1t has the right
under the Federal transportation act
to prevent a strike that would tie up
the nations transportation system,
CHICAGO, June 20 ASSOCIATED Press).
Intervention by the Federal Gov
ernment under the authority of the
transportation act, created to main
tain the orderly course of the nations
transportation arteries. loomed to-
night as the final hope of averting the
threatened strike of 100000 shopmen
and possibly half a million more rail-
road workers.
Developments Rapid.
Developments of the strike situation
came in rapid sequence to-day. In
ternational presidents Of the six shop
unions announced kilograms authoriz-
ing their membership to walk out Sat-
urday morning.
The Labor Board Immediately rec
ognized a threatened interruption Of
traffic, and acting under the authority
OF the transportation act issued a
citation to the strike leaders to come
before IL for official inquiry Railway
executives also were summoned.
The Association of Railway Execu-
tives, meeting here on other matters.
considered and rejected the union pro-
posal of a truce pending negotiations
over wages and working conditions.
The executives declared that
strike would be against the orders of
the Labor Board and against tie
United States Government, and thus
absolved themselves from further re-
sponsibility to the present situation.
There is little likelihood, officials
said, that any conference could be
arranged to mend the differences of
the employees and the roads. and most
OF the executives departed tonight
for their homes. Executives OF only
sixteen of TIE twenty-three roads cited
we're present at to-day's meeting, but
they expected to appear before the
board tomorrow.
The July / ss0.0oo.o00 wage cut and
the modification Of seven rules were the
two questions involved in the shopmen's
strike vote. which are conditions laid
down by the Labor Board. according to
the carriers position. Defiance of those
orders by the roads would be to recog-
nize your power and authority as
greater than that or the Government"
ssid the executives reply to the union
ultimatum.
Chairman Cuyler's Reply.
=. De witt Cuyler. chairman, Asso-
citation OF Railway Executives. replied
to Mr.. Jewell to-day In a telegram, In
part as follows:
II have received your telegram Of the
2sth inst. and hav presented II TO
meeting Of the Association of Railway
Executives which convened in Chicago
to-day for another purpose In no way
connected with any pending labor con-
troversies.
while the Association OF Railway
"
Continued on Page Two.