Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-03
LEADERS OF sHePMEN ACCEPT
 PRESIDENTS PROPOSALS

Chicago Aug. eBy the A.aP. .)-Ful., acceptance of the peace proposals sub rnitted by President Harding was voted tonight by leaders of the striking rail-I way shopnnen, who, however. gave their own interpretation of each of the three suggestions.
 we accept reluctantly, 1t is true, but commit ourselves to carry out the terms of settlement in utmost good faith and in aid of the general welfare said the message of acceptance which was sent to President Harding tonight If these proposals fail to bring about i the results which you desire. the re- sponsibility of failure will not rest upon representatives of the organized er1- ployes"
 i On the proposal to restore unimpaired seniority rights to the strikers. which was rejected by railway executives at a meeting yesterday in New York, the message declared:
 ,.''It would certainly he a wholesale in justice of unparalleled extent If hun dreds' of thousands of experienced men who have given four to forty years ser vice and whose value to the transporta- ton industry. is proportioned to the length of their service should be placed f in a position of inferiority to a limited [ number of men who have been employ ed as substitutes for these experienced railroad workers
 Timothy FIealy president of the Fire
 men and Oilers union. which is also on
 strike. signed the shopmens acceptance
 of the presidents proposal. stating that
 his union would abide by the, sugees-
 tions and would follow the shopmen
 The message read as follows:
 "The representatives of. the employees
 feel themselves under obligation to sup
 port very proper effort on the part of the government to bring about or to pre-
 serve the uninterrupted operation of the
 transportation industry. The stubborn
 refusal of the railway executives to es-
 tablish a board of adjustment, as con.
 templated by law. in order to settle ef
 fciently disputes over rules and working
 conditions between the carriers and theil
 employees; the continued refusal of rail
 ways. representing over a quarter of :
 mileage of class one railroads. to com
 ply with the decisions of the railroad la bor board against the practice of con tracing out work and shops the persis tent campaign to deny to the railwa, , employees just and reasonable wages, t
 impose upon them unfair working con } dItions and to disintegrate their organ
 izations: all Tn cumulative effect render ] ed service by railway employees unde . the terms and conditions to be effectiy r July l. 1922. intolerable to over s5 pc T cent of these employees, who, therefore l voted to suspend work.
 .-"It, is now proposed that they retur q to work. temporarily, accepting wage T and working conditions which they fet e to be unjust. with reliance upon the fol - lowing program for redress of griey a ances:
 e " First railway managers and worl
 men are to agree to recognize the valid
 ity of all decisions xof the railroad labc
 board and to faithfully carry out sue decisions as contemplated by law
 'The employees have always taken th position that as long, as they continue ss to render service they should abide b le the rules and working conditions an "a accept the wages agreed upon by prol II CT negotiation. or determined by the l; n bor board after hearings of a disput l. ,.upon+ any, of these matters. They r lt s06ctfully point ort aEain< that 4vioij y tions of law. and refusals to comply wit
 decisions Of the board have been exhil ts tied only by the. railway management Ld and that it has been universally admi ,d ted that the employees. in exercising the
 right to suspend work under non-accep le able conditions. were neither vioiatir to the law nor the decisions of the board a. we understand that the recognitis ss of the validity of ails decisions by Il c' railroad labor board-as contemplate a. by the law means. for exampie.s that no the case of the Pennsylvania railroad 2 en employees will return to work under t n- wages and working conditions establis n-l tCsaslHued sn r.ge seven. Ne. Fourl