Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1922-07-29
Harding Drafting Peace
Plan And Is Confident
Of Victory Next Week
sy GEORGE 2. HOLMES,
!. NJ. S. Staff CORRESPONDENT.

Washington July 2a.-President
Harding's peace program. designed
to end the paralyZing strike of shop
men went forward from the white
house today The pan of reconcili-
alton which the President believes
will be accepted by both the rail
roads and their striking employees
was sent to Dewitt Cuyler. chair
man Of the Association of Railway
Executives and to Bert NJ. Jewell,
leader OF the shopmen.
Washington, July 29.-President
Harding today began the actual
drafting of peace program which
he has every confidence will be ac-
cepted by both railway executives
and strikers, and will result in the
paralyzing national tieup ending
not later than next Wednesday.
From high official source, il was
learned that the Presidents pro
gram is virtually as follows:
f-5trikers will return to
work on all roads at the reduc-
ed wage scale recently decreed
by the railway labor board,
2-Strikers will return with
their seniority rights unlmpair.
ed by the Wakout, except that
those union men who remained
on the job shall retain the sen
icrity which they are eeIti-
n1ately entitled to. The senior.
ity for the strike breakers will
be determined by their length
of service.
3-Demand for national ad-
, Iustment board to be left open
for future adjustment.
4-Workina rules modified by
the railway labor board, such
as time and half for overtime,
to be made the subject of an
early rehearins by the labor
beard
5-Settiement &c be based
upon national basis ard not
individual or regional agree
ments.
Labor Board Supreme.
Back of the whole program lies
the understanding that when the
strike is over, both sides hereafter
will live up to the decisions OF the
labor board 1t is the firm con-
viction of President Harding and
his advisers that 80 percent of the
present trouble can be traced to
the fact that both sides have dis
regarded the boards decisions and
the settlement proposed by the
President is predicted on the I'M
Il
sides will be good"
Strike Leader Pleased.
President Harding himself has
described the program as one of
compromise II is known, however,
that the railway strike leaders are
hiqhly pleased with the terms as
outlined They make concessions in
the matter Of wages but by exacting
a program which calls for future
letter and law Of the labor boards
decisions. such as in the farming
out of contract repair work, they
fee they have won a notable vic
tory.
So far as labor is concerned, the
program has already been accepted
but that it will not have smooth
sailing through the meeting of the
railroad executives in New York
was already admitted today by ad-
spokesman.
The die hard" element among the
executives, particularly, those who
stood ont most strongly against any
welding on the troublesome senior
ity issue like ". w. Atterbury OF
the Pennsylvania; L, F Loree, Of
the Delaware and Hudson and repre-
sentatives Of the New York Central
and Erie lines. are expected to wage
a biz night against accepting any
proposition involving recession
from thoir previously announced
stand
The big eastern roads, generally
speaking, were not seriously Grip
pied by the shipments strike, but
the midwest and western lines were
hard hit. Some of these latter roads
have been brought to the verge OF
suspended operations by the strike
and the are expected to offset the
arguments Of the eastern lines.