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Show .RAILROAD STRIKE IS A POSSIBILITY Conference to be Mc!d in New York and Oreak May Follow. I NEW YORK March 1 2. Persistent reports were current in railroad circles cir-cles here today thai a countrywide strike would result if a satisfactory I agreement is not reached the con-; ference on the question of the eight-hour eight-hour working day to be held hero j Thursday between the railroac man-1 agers and representatives of four brotherhoods of trainmen 1 Reports have been s'jiu to the railroad rail-road presidents by agents of the managers man-agers stating that plnns had been laid j by the brotherhoods io begin such a strike Saturday nisbt in the evenl their demands are not met at the conference con-ference Inquiry at railroad headquarters failed to brinq out the source of the 'reports although it was learned definitely defi-nitely that such information had been sent him This information stated that the brotherhood leaders consider they have waited a reasonable time for the supreme court decision on the Adamson law and "they are -oing to begin hostilities in a few days" as one railroad representative put it. The plans of the union leaders, the report said, called for a progressive strike beginning Saturday nisbt and looking to a complete tie-up by the following Wednesday night I Talk of Railroad Strike is General. WASHINGTON, Mnr. 12 Talk of n railroad strike was general among local labor union otTiri'ils trom the southeast gathered here tonight, hut national officers of the four hi? brotherhoods declined to confirm or deny that definite strike plans actU-Sllj actU-Sllj were under consideration. The local leaders came for a conference con-ference tomorrow preliminary to tb meeting of the brotherhood and rail Waj officials to be held in New York Thursday. Sectional conferences will be held in other cities and the brotherhood broth-erhood heads insist that they cannot forecast their course until the locals from all parts of the country have reported re-ported the result of their deliberations. delibera-tions. Think Walkout May Follow. There were distinct indications, however, thai Ihere micht be more truth in strike ieports than appeared on the surface. An impression prevalent pre-valent among some of the local off! rials was that a general walkout probablv would follow quicklv if the roads refused to accede to the union demands at Thursday's conference Saturday was the da most persistent-ly persistent-ly mentioned as likely to see a climax of the long controversy between the roads and their men. x j ail (jurauuii5 111c ui unit i rimju heads replied that there was nothinirj to be said as yet, that sentiment' among the men the country over would have to be sounded out before a general strike could be ordered; and that many locals still where to be; heard from Neither from them nor from any other authoritative 'source could be gained any confirmation of the stories that definite strike plans, had been made. Little Time to Reach Decision. It was pointed out, however, that verj little time would be required to! put a strike order Into operation if a decision were reached to take that course All the machinery used to prepare for the big strike narrowly averted last fall could be put into service quickly now if the need came j The present controversy, like that of which it is the outgrowth, revolves around the eight hour day and more I than one of the local leaders here r tonight declared the brotherhoods had waited too long already while the; supreme court deliberated on the constitutionality of the shorter baric day. oo |