The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-08-02
STANDING BEHIND
THE FEDERAL R. r.
THEY DECLARE
Roads Post Notices New
Employees Will Be Pro-
tected and Applications
for Positions More Than
for Many Days Past

New York, Aug 2.--In rejecting the
third section of President Harding's
proposal for ending the shopmen's
strike, the railroads are standing be-
hind the federal railroad labor board
according to rail executives who point
ed out to-day that the board had told
the men who refused to strike that
they would have seniority rights in
regard to employment. Notices have
been sent employees that in accordance
with the board and railroad promises
the shop workers who remained loyal
as well as the new men viii be pro-
tected.
Spokesman for the railroads stated
the program, adopted at the meeting
of more than $50 executives, was final
and that the roads would act as a
unit.
Leaders of the strikers said they
welcomed the fight to finish, which
must follow the action Of the rail ex
ecutiyes, and declared that the oper-
alton Of the transportation lines was
being further retarded daily,
Roads Reject Terms.
Railway executives of the nation
yesterday firmly but courteously re-
jected the program advanced by the
Harding administration for settlement
of the rail strike.
Willing to accept conditionally two
suggestions put forward by the White
House---that both sides abide by wage
decisions of the railroad labor board
and that lawsuits springing out of the
strike be withdrawn--the heads of
las roads declared emphatically that
il was impossible to reinstate strikers
with unimpaired seniority rights, the
third provision in the presidents plan.
After being told by Robert s. Low
ett OF the Union Pacific that there
was no moral or practical reason for
budging from their position, the ex
ecutives disbanded, caught the first
trains for the respective headquarters,
and indicated that they were going
ahead and would operate their roads
with the forces they had assembled
since the shopmen walked out on
July |.
The decision not TO yield on the
question of seniority was made known |
TO the White House by telegram after
The rail heads had listened to a 20 |
minute address by Secretary of Com
merce Hoover, who, as direct represen-
tatiye Of the president, told them, in
effect, that the administration held the
seniority question of minor impor-
tance in comparison with that of up
holding the railroad labor board.
This action was taken in the face of
a letter from President Harding ad-
dressed to T. Dewitt Cuyler, chairman
of the American Association of Rail
way Executives, embodying "the terms
Of agreement, as | understand them,
upon which the railway managers and
United Shop Craft Workers, are to
agree, preliminary TO calling off the
existing strike"
President Harding had closed his
letter with these two sentences:
IL need hardly add that | have rea-
son to believe these terms viii be
accepted by the workers. II there is
good reason why the managers cannot
accept they will be obliged to open di-
rect negotiations or assume full re-
for the situation"
Secretary Hoover in returning from
New York where he represented the
president nj the executives meeting.
'aid he would see Mr.. Harding during
he day. He declined 10 discuss the
.fsxastop