The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-08


 stment of the crucial seniority issue ,or board.
 Though the President was
 said to consider this the only
 practical course the governs
 ment could take, union spokes-
 summoned their associates to
 meet here Wednesday to pass
 on the proposal and further
 called to Washington for gener-
 al conference Friday heads of
 all railroad labor organizations
 to consider methods of co-op-
 erntion that might make the
 strike more effective.
 Rail executives made no response to the White House tonight, though press dispatches Indicated they also would meet to frame 2 collective answer.
 Union Heads Meet
 B. NJ Jewell president of the railway department of the American Federation of Labor; ". H. Johns- ton. head of the Machinists' assv- citation, and U. F. Noonan, compris- ing a committee representing strik- ing unions took the Presidents communication into conference, later calling in IL. E. Wills of the en- gineers, Paul Stephens of the train men, and Arthur J. Lowell of the firemen ana enginemen, all three being Washington representatives of brotherhoods organizations in the train service.
 .It taG 8 statement which was taken as fore shadowing their course, and copies of telegram to w. $. Stone, chief of the engineers, and T. E. J. Man ion, president of the telegraphers. asking their cooperation in the formulation of program which would have for it's purpose pro lection of the public, preservation or the railroad industry and an honor k able basis of settlement.
 Call General Farley
 MT. Noonan, MT. MT. Johnston and MT. Jewell have been in conference several hours considering the pro-. posal made by the President, the statement said. We have request ed the chief executives of all trlk- ing shop crafts, unions and the sta tionary firemen and oilers to meet ne1e w cuHtCaay VI NtAf' W ""
 We also have urgently request ed by telephone and telegraph that eonfe renee of all executives Of rali- road labor organizations be hold In Washington Friday, August II.
 eve have requested this confer once because we recognize railroad employees not now on strike WILL |, defense of the travelling ~ubiic and themselves, necessarily have to decline to operate the defective TO- comotiyes and cars now in servlce.
 Growing Unsafe.
 .It is clear to any unbiased person that railroad equipment IS growing more unsafe each day and reliei must be had through an honorable settie- ment. Employes now on strike, are firm in their position and will con- tinue so as long as the Association of Railway Executives declines to accept reasonable terms of agree ment."
 union officials emphasized their con- clusions that the government mas authority to settle the strike on the just, fair and reasonable basis pro- posed by the President July 5l. aHowever, 1t is now apparent that no constructive program is being proposed the telegram continued, .and that unless the railroad em- ployes can offer additional counsel and advice, the lives and safety or employees and travelling public al- ready endangered by the continued use of defective railroad equipment. will be imperilled to a greater ex- tent. Believing that the chief exec utive of each of the standard rail- road labor organizations, as result of their years of experience. broad public viewpoint and sincere desire for industrial peace can by confer enck with the officers of the shop crafts formulate a program having for it's purpose the protection of the public, preservation of the railroad industry and an honorable basis of settlement for the managers and the employees. we urgently recommend that you. as chairman of the railroad organization. wire each chief exec utive requesting him to attend con- ference :n Washington, Friday, Au- gust IT.
 We do no. expect that strike nc. ton will oe suggested at the general conference" said MT. Jewell. but We do consider that it will shortly be
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