Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-01-17
Measure to Avert
Railroad Controversy
Provisional Agreement Reach
ed by Railway Executives
and Heads of Four Brother
hoods.

Washington, Jan. ia provisional
agreement was reached today by rail-
way executives and heads of the four
orotherhoods meeting at the instance of
Secretary Hoover, to submit wage and
working questions affecting train SER
vice employees to regional conferences
for adjustment, if possible, without con-
tests before the railroad labor board.
Railroad executives will meet in Chi
cago Saturday to consider the propos-
ais, while brotherhood chiefs will re-
port back to their organizations and if
the agreement is ratified as all concern
ed expected today that it would be,
the regional gatherings will be sum-
moned about February 10.
The action was decided upon after an
all day session in which active heads
of many of the larger railroad organiza-
tions of the country participated and
which was called by smaller prelim-
mary meeting of realroad executives and
labor leaders with Mr.. Hoover.
Among those present were: r. D. I'm
derwood, president of the Erie; Carl
Gray president of the Union Pacific; w.
w. Atterbury, vice president of Tie
Pennsylvania c. H. Markham, presi-
dent of the Illinois Central; W. L. Map
other, president of the Louisville and
Nashville; Danial Willard, president OF
the Baltimore & Ohio; w. ], Hanrahan
president of the Chesapeake and Ohio
A, H. Smith, president Of the New York
Central; J. H. Hustis, president of the
Boston and Maine; Hale Holden, pres
ident of the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy; and B. f. Bush, president OF
the Missouri Pacific
Among the brotherhood officers were
Warren S. Stone, chief of the engin-
eers; ". G. Lee, chief of the trainmen
L. E. Shepherd, for the conductors, an6
Timothy Shea for the enginemen.
The regional conferences, Mr.. Hoover
said, would facilitate the work of the
| Railroad Labor Board and above all
tend to create a spirit of working goot
will and the settlement of differences b.
/ adjustment, not by methods of litiga
ton"
1t was pointed out that the fixing o
wage scales for train service employ
es had been brought about through ne
gotiations participated in by railroad of
1 ficials and union representa- in dis
| tricts where work was performed dur
ing all the period prior to the war
Furthermore, it was said that the meth
cd of reconciling differences by nego
tiations prior to appealing to the labo
board had been specially oontemplat
ed by the transportation act sections ere
ating the board.
Mr.. Hoover stated that the conferenc
today did not discuss wages or work
ing agreements in themselves and adde
that he considered the railroad labo
situation as entirely disconnected fror
negotiations over coal mining wages
which he has tentatively embarked upo
as representative of the administrator
RafrbaGs have formally given no
tiCe to the railroad board and the organ
izations of their employees that they wi
ask general reductions in existing wag
scales, but the proceedings so institute
have not yet been brought to trial. ]
is anticipated that new wage seal
agreements, if reached by negotiation
between the train service men and tn
roads in the regional conferences, eitf
er for a part of the United States c
for the entire country, will be subst
tuted for any decisions which might /
reached through the formal proceeding
Appeal to the board would only be tai
en- on such matters as were not decide
at the conferences.