The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-19
Must Return to Jobs Before
Peace Is Talked, They Say.
Rail Labor Board Asked for a
Separate Settlement Plan.
MANY TRAINS ARE CUT OFF
Petty Sabotage Appears IN Thls
and Other States.
Maintenance Strike Seems Far
Off-UniOn Meets Friday.

Springfield, Mo, July 19--AnnuI-
ment of twenty-six trains on the ST.
Louis & San Francisco system was an
nounced today by ]. NJ. kurn' presi-
dent of the company. Virtually all OF
the trains are on branch lines in MIS-
souri,, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkan-
sas. Service will be discontinued to-
morrow.
Later announcement by company
officials showed, however, that no no
trains in Kansas are affected by the
curtailment order. Present conan
tions do not warrant operation OF
these trains" said President Kurn to-
day.
Bellingham, Wash, July 19.-Ah
passenger service on the Northern "a
cific railroad between Bellingham anu
Seattle was cancelled today for the
first time in the history of that branch
of the railroad.
The suspension of service Is beneVeo
to have been caused by the strike OF
railway shopmen.
tBy the Associated Press-l
Boston. July 19.-Seven masked
men. heavily armed, got past the
guards at the Boston & Maine rallroao
shops at Concord. y. H. late last
fifty working shopmen were sleeping.
drove them out of doors and ordered
them out of town. according to a
statement by Boston & Maine officials
today.
There was shooting and hand to
hand fighting in which several work
men were beaten, one requiring hos
pital treatment, says the statement.
Chicago, July 19.-The rail strike
situation appeared today to have
reached a stage of 'swatchful waiting"
So far as surface indications are con-
cerned, the past twenty-four hours
have seen few Developments Of inn
portance and each side of the con-
troyersy seems to have adopted a
policy of waiting for the next move Of
the opposition.
Altho no definite peace plan has
been announced as the result of par
leys held here during the present
week. belief prevailed that the course
of the strike is tending toward an ad-
justment of the issues.
Some observers prOfessed to see a
doorway to peace in the promise held
out by the United States railway la
Dor board that the board will give
questions of revision of tn wage scale
right of way whenever such petitions
are brought before it,
Take Up Separate Plans.
The procedure will be for the
unions to take up the question of wage
scale revision with the individual rail-
roads If no agreement is reached,
the dispute will then be referred to
the labor board and prompt action is
assured.
1t is that promise that is believed
to have influenced the decision of the
brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employees to defer strike action.
One dispute between the trackmen
of the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
railroad and the railway executives
already has been referred to the board
and placed on the calendar for prompt
disposal
But Roads Won't Deal.
Whether the shopmen who are on
strike can reach a settlement of their
grievances thru this method is doubt
full. however, as the railroads have
made it plain they will not deal with
the strikers until they return to their
jobs.
The strikers declare they will not
return until assured of full restora-
tion of seniority rights. Several roads,
it is understood, have refused to agree
10 this proposal. Adjustment of this
difficulty at present seems to consti-
tute the chief obstacle to settlement
of the shop crafts controversy.
No Maintenance Talk Til Friday.
The danger of a strike of mainte-
remote. E. F. Cradle, president of the
brotherhood, thus far has stood out
strongly against a strike and he de-
clares he has full control of his or
ganization. Cradle admits about 20.-
600 trackmen have walked out on un-
authorized strikes but contends that
tho number. compared with a MEM
bership of 400. 900, is negligible.
A meeting of the grand lodge of the
brotherhood. which was to have been
held in Detroit tomorrow, has been
postponed until Friday in order TO
give all members of the lodge oppor-
(Continued on Page Four