Evening star., 1946-05-24

man ordered Government seizure of
the railroads.
Then, less than an hour before the
walkout deadline last Saturday, the
President won the f1ve-day truce
which kept the roads operating up
until yesterday afternoon.
Mr.. Truman placed his own set
tlement plan before all the 20 rail
brotherhoods Wednesday. This pro-
posal would have awarded them an
increase of 181a cents an hour in
stead of the 16 cents recommended
by the fact finding board. But it
specified that the brotherhoods were
to drop their demands for changes
in working rules in return for the
additional pay, even though the
fact-finding board had recommend
ed some of them.
These rules deal with such mat
ters as vacation pay, overtime. sick
leave, providing uniforms and the
like.
The settlement proposal was ac-
cepted by the railroads and by 18
of the brotherhoods. But the en-
gineers and trainmen turned it
down.
Rejection Was Not Final.
These two brotherhoods did not
make their rejection final at the
outset, but agreed to give an answer
to President Truman by noon yes
terday.
1t was about IL: 80 am. when Mr..
Whitney and Mr.. johnson arrived
at the White House, and they were
ushered at once into an anteroom
of the Presidents office.
| NeWsmen saw them sitting there
until about 11:50, then they dis
appeared, and the assumption was
that they were closeted with Mr..
Truman.
For two hours reporters clustered
outside the Presidents Office, ex-
pecting word one way or another
momentarily. Then at O'Clock Mr.
Ross came out and announced that
the union heads had been with Mr..
Steeman and had never seen the
President, who had gone to lunch at
/ o'clock.
Then it was announced that the
carriers representatives and those of
the 18 nonStriking brotherhoods also
had been called in by Mr.. Steelman
AS the pm. deadline for the
strike neared, reporters were told
! that the trainmen and engineers
Representatives were comforting with
the carriers and that the other union
chiefs were talking with Mr.. Steel
man, as they, naturally, were inter-
ested parties to the other negotia-
tions.
Shortly after o'clock, with the
negotiations still in the same stage,
it was disclosed that the President
had gone over to the White House
where a lawn party was being held
for veterans. Mr.. Ross explained
that he was not more than 100 yards
away, and could be called if wanted.
There had been no definite an
nouncement at that time that the
two dissenting unions had rejected
the Presidents compromise plan, but
it was evident that was the situation.
Food Sent to Conferees.
/ In the meantime, food had been
sent into the cabinet room where
the conference was being held.
AS President Truman stood in the
receiving line to greet his guests,
one wounded CT wanted to know
"how's the strike"
We'll" said the President, "it's
coming along"
i Mr.. Truman came back to his Of
flee in about an hour, and the fu-
tile conversations continued a few
feet away, as reports told of the
spread of the strike from East to
West.
Finally, the breakup came.
/. AS Mr.. Whitney and Mr.. john
ston left the White House they
handed out copies of their letter to
the President rejecting his plan.
Statement of Refusal.
/ A notation in longhand on the
bottom of the letter said that it had
been given to Mr.. Truman at 11:55
am.
The text follows:
"Sir:
yesterday, acting as mediator
between our two organizations and
the carriers, you offered us 1872
cents an hour on condition that
We abandon our request for changes
in rules, and requested that we give
you an answer before IL o'clock
today.
Your offer as stated above is less
favorable to the men in service
represented by our two organiza-
tions than the recommendation
made by your Emergency Board.
AS you know, the recommendation
of your board was submitted to our
general committee representing men
in service on every railroad partici-
pating in this movement, and was
rejected. In fact, your offer would
leave us in worse position because
the board made a recommendation
on several rules. The improved
changes in working conditions as
provided by our request for rules
Is the most important issue in our
present controversy. We have told
this to the carriers and to yourself
from the beginning.
THE suggested 1917 cents amounts
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