New-York tribune., 1922-08-19
Union Chiefs Insist, How
|, ever, Full Rights of Strik-
ers Be Restored; Proffer
Called Bedrock Stand
Roads to Consider
Plan on Tuesday
Representatives of Carriers
Affected Will Vote and
Confer With Men Again

A "gentleman's agreement" provid-
ing for the restoration Of seniority
rights to all strikers, but at the same
time carrying with it the union conces-
sion that the rights and privileges of
new employees be protected, was ad-
yanced yesterday as basis for the
settlement of the strike of railroad
shopmen.
The proposal was made by the heads
of the Big Four train service brother
hoods, meeting in their second day
peace sessions with the committee of
executives chosen to represent the
country's railroads, and was said to
be the shopmen's bedrock stand.'
Early in the days negotiations, it
was reported, some of the executives
manifested indications interpreted in
some quarters as showing that they
were not wholly aserse personally to
reaching settlement on some basis
OF the kind. Later, however, they were
declared to have given reason for a
belief that they did not care to speak
for all the roads of the country without
first ascertaining the bulk Of railroad
management opinion.
To Vote on Proposal
1t was decided to call another assem-
bly, of the heads of all carriers affected
by the strike and place the shipments
proposal Before them for vote. This
wilt be held in New York probably on
Tuesday and on thesfoIlowing day the
answer of the railroads will be given
formally to the union leaders in
resumption of the negotiations at 81
Broadway, the Offices of the Associa-
tion of Railway Executives.
Meanwhile, both sides will have the
opportunity of sounding out public SEN
timent throughout the country on the
Presidents message to Congress, which
was regarded in some sources as not
overfriendly to the shipments in
terests. Whether the results of these
surveys will have any bearing on Tues
days and Wednesdays developments
remains to be seen. No authorized
spokesman on either side could be in
duced to comment on the Presidents
declarations yesterday.
There were two sessions in yester-
days conferences, the first in the morn
ing. Following the latter, the Big Four
heads met with Bert M. Jewell and
the other chiefs of the striking shop
Hotel Woodstock, where the high points
Of the parley results up to that time
were discussed. Then, at O'Clock in
the afternoon the train service leaders
again met the executives.
Firm ON Seniority Point
Various peace proposals previously
suggested were touched upon and dis
cussed. Counter proposals were ad-
vanced. Speeches were made and argu-
ments pro and con went back and
forth across the council table. Through
all the negotiations, it was said, the
anion leaders remained firm on one
point. They were just as willing to
make concessions as were the rail-
roads, they said, but they insisted that
any agreement reached must carry with
it the restoration of unimpaired SEN
iority rights to the strikers on the
return of the latter to work.
1t was said that some of the lead
ing arguments advanced in this con-
nection were that the former en-
ployees Of the roads should not be
forced to sacrifice the gains of life's
toll because they went on strike; that
there would be plenty of work for both
strikers and new employees for a long
time to come because of the high per-
centage OF bad order cars, and that the
spirit of the strikers was to forget an
tipathies SO far as the new employees
were concerned and would not seek to
interfere with their employment and
the rights and privileges they have
gained under it.
What was said to have been Of
even greater interest to the execu-
tives, however, was contention that
any attempt to rate the strikers be-
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