New-York tribune., 1922-08-22
Peace Talk ON Basis of
Strikers Demands "AlI
Bunk .Loree Declares
After Executives Meet
Willing to Accept
Z Labor Board Rule
Sheppard Brings New Big
4 Proposals for Confer
ence Here Tomorrow

Despite optimistic reports issuing
from union leaders that settlement
OF the railroad strike would result from
the meeting tomorrow of the 148 MEM
bers Of the Association of Railway Ex-
ecutiyes Mt the Yale Club, Eastern rail-
road chiefs declared yesterday that
there "could be no peace on the basis
of the strikers demands" and that the
reports were "all bunk"
The attitude of the executives was
indicated in the statement of T.. r.
Loree, president of the Delaware g.
Hudson, made after meeting of the
Eastern presidents conference, of
which he is chairman. Mr.. Loree said
that the questions of seniority, pension
rights and other matters involved in
the strike had been discussed and that
he and his associates stood firmly op-
posed to restoring the strikers to their
jobs with full seniority rights. They
are willing, however, to have the point
placed in the hands of the Railroad
Labor Board for adjudication.
Sheppard Bringing New Plans
L. E. Sheppard, head Of the con-
ductors' organization, started for New
York yesterday from Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, with three new suggestions to
offer the conference which he regards
as extremely important.
Three new propositions will be sub
mitted by us at the conference" he
said, "and we have every hope that
they will bring matters to a head. If
,the good offices of the brotherhoods
are not accepted now fear it means
a fight to the finish"
The question of seniority, Sheppard
acknowledged, was a difficult one, but
he expressed the opinion that, as both
sides had given in as to minor points,
they could be brought together on that
of seniority.
The union chiefs have steadfastly
refused to have the seniority question
decided by the Labor Board, whose au-
thority they have ignored during the
strike, and which some contend has
three times declared the strikers out
lawed as to old rights. Should the
union men eventually agree to the
railway chiefs proposals there can be
no doubt, many hold, as to what action
the board would take. The strikers,
however, are firmly set upon obtaining
unimpaired seniority privileges.
you can quote me as saying that /
stand where I have stood from the
start on the seniority question:" said
Mr.. Loree. "The roads do not propose
to surrender and give back the strikers
their seniority. All this peace talk is
bunk. There can be no peace on the
basis of the strikers demands on the
seniority question"
w. w. Atterbury, vice-president Of
the Pennsylvania system, who was
present at the meeting, which was held
at 90 Nassau Street, said that Mr..
Loree was voicing the sentiments of
all the Eastern railroad chiefs.
West Not Unanimous
1t was pointed out to Mr.. Loree that
the sentiment on the seniority aues-
tlon varied among the railroad heads
In the West and South, where it ap-
pears the lines are anxious to get the
men back to work in time to move the
crops. Mr.. Loree explained that this
sentiment, If It existed, was small, and
said chat there would not be enough
votes cast for surrendering to the
strikers aon the seniority point at
Wednesdays meeting to mean any
thing.
Mr.. Loree added that much harm was
done by the peace talk of the union
leaders, as the railroads were rapidly
getting back to normal and increasing
the number of new men taken on. He
offered. in short statement, some
statistics, regarding which he said that
the normal number of railway shop
men employed in the Eastern region is
l6l 1899. The percentage of this num-
her at work during the last four weeks.
together with the weekly increase, he
gave as follows:
5uly 5nyn., ss s57sa s7,7sa ssg
1ususs AUGUST s So. ii5.7ss l7 sii si.ss. sasi slsi
ut was expected" said Mr.. Loree's
statement, that the ratio Of increase
of August II would Be continued on
the 18th, but the occurrances of LAST