The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-17
BROTHERHOOD
CHIEFS SEEK
RAIL PEACE
Leaders Go Into Conference
With Committee Represent
ing Railroad Officials =
Jewell Ready To Confer.
PROPOSAL is SECRET
(By Associated Press)

w 1ORh, aus. AO
effort by an outside agency % end
the nationwide shopmen's strike that
began more than six weeks ago, was
made today when readers Of the rail
road brotherhood went into confer
ence with a committee representing
railroad officials at the Broadway
headquarters of the association OF
railway executives.
/ Bert NJ. Jewell, president of tho rail-
way employees department of the
American Federation of Labor, arrived
| in this city just as the conference was
| called and announced that he was
! holding himself in readiness to advise
with the conferees if he was called.
! Mr. Jewell issued the following state
4 ment:
1.-The officers Of all the railroad lab.
or organizations are here now, con-
tinuing as they have throughout the
strike. to do everything possible TO
bring about an amicable settlement"
In Closed Session
The executives were the first tn
reach the conference room. They took
their seats and awaited the brothe,
hood officials in their roles OF
mediators.
On the arrival of the leaders of the
running trade on the scene headed By
w. S. Stone, head of the brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers, the labor
men filed into the room and the doors
closed.
The only labor officials at the down
town conference were representatives
of the Big Four. The officers of the
other railway labor organizations re-
mained at an uptown hotel with Mr..
Jewell awaiting any call they might
receive from the conference.
, What would be the proposal of the
brotherhood chiefs, assuming the role
Of mediators, could not be learned from
them when they closed the doors be-
: hind them
Representatives Of the stationary
trade, who were watching closely the
brotherhood conference, indicated that
? they expected the running craft not
l to suggest any compromise on the
matter of seniority rights, which has
: proved the big stumbling block in
Ipeace efforts thus far
| Firm on Seniority
Although none of the strike leaders
; would permit themselves to be quoted.
: they indicated that they did not ex-
pect the brotherhood leaders to suggest
: any patched up proposal to the execu-
tives. nor that the brotherhood leaders
would promise to exert their influence
2 to get the shopmen to return to work,
! when no return of seniority rights was
| guaranteed the strikers.
! Heading the employers is Dewitt
Cuyler. chairman of the National as
sociation, with a committee of nine
= railroad presidents; Warren S. Stone
J. national head of the Brotherhood Of
Locomotive Engineers, was attended
!. by chiefs of the other big four run
: ming crafts.
Outside the conference, but within
1.-THE city, and within call of the con-
: ference, will be Bert NJ. Jewell. presi-
dent of the seven shopcrafts strike or
. ganizations, and chairmen of the de-
partment of railway employees. Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. He was ex-
pected to arrive from Washington be-
fore noon, accompanied by all but tw,i
of the seven heads of the shopcrafts
\ unions.
No Definite Plan.
Chiefs of the big four. arriving for
the meeting, declared they were with
out definite plan for solution of the
D seniority question. They had "sev-)
If eral half formal proposals to make,
il but none which they were prepared
e to make public.
O Notwithstanding the futility Of all
}. negotiations to date both sides rec
d ognized that the situation they have TO
g meet is one in which the strikers, hav-
n ing agreed to return to their jobs on
h the basis of the labor boards scale, in
= sist that all be taken back with senior.
q ity and pension rights unimpaired.
n The executives association they also
II agree AS announced it will take back
N only as many men as the various roads
ned to bring shop forces back to nor
NAL, demanding that they return to
work without seniority rights, remain
ing. however, free to bring their de
mands for reinstated seniority before
" the labor board later.
Possible Plan.
One possible plan by which the
roads might maintain their policy OF
rewarding loyal and new employees
b. with seniority preference over return
al ing strikers, and still effect a compro
X mise with the shop crafts, appeared
10 in the mass of unofficial discussion in
@. railway circles prior to the conference
Such a plan which, it was believed
would be acceptable TO the crafts. was
e. outlined by certain executives as fol
IN lows:
n: 81. That the railroads, instead ol
le being bound by the majority action oi
k the association of railway executives
d. be permitted to take back as many o
al the strikers as needs of individua
10 roads dictated This would assure
jobs to all the strikers on most Of the
lie Continued on Page Fourteen)
a.