The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-08-06
Efforts to
End Strike
Resumed
Railway Union Leaders Hold
Further Conferences With
Presidcnt-To Renew
Negotiations Monday.
Men in Cheerful Mood

Washington, Aug. S-(By A. PD
Negotiations 10 end the strike Of
railroad shopcraits men were re-
sumed by President Harding and b.
NJ. Jewell. presiden, OF the railroad
employees department OF the Amefi-
can Federation OF Labor. w. II.
Johnston. president OF the maehin-
ists. and J. 7. Noonan. head OF the
electrical workers brotherhood. who
lei, the White House alter an hour
OF conference with the chief exceu-
tive. expecting 10 be recalled on
Monday.
/, was no, disclosed whether s',e
president had communicated with
railroad heads again. whose refusal
this week TO grant his proposal to
give returning. strikers seniority
status terminated the first settlement
attempt, but the strike leaders, in
cheerful mood. said after the confer
ence tina, the proposals as originally
outlined by the president. cons,i-
tuted their 'irreducible minimum in
seeking honorable settlement.
Brotherhood Heads Call.
Likewise H. Z. Wills, J. Paul
Stephens and Arthur J. Lowell, rep
resenting respectively the engineers.
trainmen and engincmen and firemen.
three OF the four brotherhood organi-
zations, saw the president at the in
stance Of national chiefs OF these
orders and OF the switchmens union
and presented the possibility that
grave prospects OF further rail un-
settlements were in sight unless the
shop situation was Strengthened out.
1t was understood that while they did
not set up a possibility of sympa-
thetic strikes by their membership,
they declared that the conditions OF
railroad equipment, locomotives par
ticularly, on many roads was grow
ing to be such that train crews might
refuse service.
No public statement OF their report
was made, other than that contained
in the message from the brother.
hoods union under which they actee
in going to the White House. ano
nothing was given out officially. They
made it plain, however, that they
made no request Of the president Tor
a conference with the brotherhood
chiefs.
Meeting Postponed.
The meeting between genera
chairmen OF shop workers on the
Southern railway and operating Of
hcials was postponed until Monday
ior the reason, according to union
leaders, that all the representatives
of the men had not arrived in
Washington.
The Southern has offered sepa.
rate settlement on the basis OF Presi'
dent Harding's proposals, without
reservation. Mr.. Jewell said that the
question of whether the Southern
shopmen would go back was EN-
tirely up to the men," that the gen.
eral policy committee of the shop
crafts federation had instructed gen.
eral chairmen to meet officials of sim
gle railroads whenever such a meet
ing was desired.
Mr.. Jewell and Mr.. Johnston
called upon Samuel Gompers at the
American Federation of Labor after
the White House visit and some OF
the Representatives of shopmen on
strike in eastern territory were called
into Washington for the weekend to
discuss the strike with the national
officers. Mr.. Gompers gave out a
statement which charged that "or-
ganlzed employing and financial in
terests were rallyng to the support
of labor arrangements in order TO
make Of the railroad strike a unified
union smashing campaign"
See Impending Victory.
New York, Aug. 5.-Both sides in
the rail controversy claimed to see
impending victory in the conference
OF national officials of the engineers,
trainmen, enginemcn and hremen's
unions and B. NJ. Jewell, head of the
shopcrafts, with federal executives a,
Washington.
The eastern strike committee in.
terpreted the conference as proof that
equipment Of the railroad was be-
coming SO unserviceable as TO justify
engineers. hremen and trainmen in
protesting that the lives of crews and
passengers were being endangered
by its continued use.
Rail chiefs, as represented by Rob-
ert Binkerd, vice chairman OF the
Association of Railway Executives.
characterized the Washington session
as the workings of strike psychology
and labor politics"