The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-09-16


 By today's agreement the New York Central system agreed to con tinue for one year, beginning Sep tember 30, the present wage scale and working rules for their trainmen and conductors, and to withdraw from the United States labor board their request made more than a year ago for downward revision of wages and tho elimination of time and half pay for overtime work.
 The New York Central gave out statement indicating it would soon call Into conference the leaders of tho engineers and firemen In the hope of amicabiy coming to terms with them, Tomorrow that system will bring together its officials and leaders of the striking shopmen in the hope of ending the strike that began July 1.
 W, G. Lee. president of the Broth- erhood of Railroad Trainmen, an- nounced here tonight that at con- ference in Pittsburg today the Penn sylyania had agreed to continue It's present wages to all four brother hoods. but a later dispatch from Pttsburg said this announcement was regarded there as premature, since the conference with trainmen and conductors would continue to- morrow while those with the engi- neers and firemen had not yet be- gun. s Brotherhood leaders assembled here said, however, they understood the Pennsylvania would follow the lead of the New York Central.
 To Tackle Western Roads
 Meanwhile. negotiations to assure continued peace between the con ductors and trainmen and tho other big roads are to be carried on here and in Chicago. Mir. Lee. who hailed today's settlement as the commence ment of cleanup of all the troubles that have afflicted the country's rail transportation, said parleys between leaders of the tralnmen and conduc- tors and six other eastern roads would be held here next week and that Tuesday, he and L. E. Shep- pard. head of the Order of Railway Conductors, expected to begin con- ferences with the western group of railway executives in Chicago. Their conferences at Chicago last June
  ing the future were broken off when the shopment decided to strike.
 Those In close touch with the sit- uation heralded the agreements to- day as forecasting the complete sma shup of the war-born system of settling railroad labor troubles on a nationwide basis and the return of the old method of letting each road arrange It's own affairs with it's own men. Some observers felt that this return to the old ways would soon be put into effect all over the coun- try in individual efforts to settle the shopmen's strike, and that the newer habit of both employer and employe in taking their troubles to a national body wiuid be broken
 Keep out Politics
 I've are trying to get our wage problems and working conditions out of the hands of politicians" MT. Lee said. q told that to the President and I'm telling you. The lawyers and politicians Just want to make record, but we fellows have been In this business a long time and we know how to handlc 1t.
 Hallway labor never requested the passage of the Adamson eight hour day, though large part of the nublfc thinks so. President Wilson wanted 1t to avert the railroad strike which certainly would have come several years ago If 1t hadn't been for the law. It isn't real eight hour day law, but Is used as basis for computing overtime. At the time the bill was under consider ation repeatedly asked several limited States senators whom I could name, but won't, to keep their hands off
 MT. Smith, as head of the various lines making up the New York Gem tral system, hailed the settlements as happy augury of better era in the conduct of the transportation service" and as marking the ''retura to the former successful practice of adjusting differences in personal ne- gotiations across the conference table,
 Neither he nor the two brother hood leaders who reached agreements with him directly criticised the rail- road labor board or the machinery for adjusting disputes that has been in operation during recent years, but all three were enthusiastic in their heraiding to the return to the round table method of conducting business between employer and employe. To- night MT. Lee and MT. Sheppard left for their offices In Cleveland after sending to Chicago a request that
 (Continued on Page Tvo)