Show TRUMAN HOLDS CONFAB t r WITH RAIL DISPUTANTS ANTS r President Seeks Dead Line LiAe Pact By NORMAN IAN W WALKER J W WASHINGTON May 22 UP President UP President T. T Truman Truman invited invited rep of the thc railroad operators and of the brotherhoods to the White House late Wednesday day in what Press P ess Secretary Secreta Charles G. G Ross said was an another ther effort to effect a s settlement t of the dispute which has a strike e set sit for 4 p. p m. m local standard time Thursday Ross Ross- s said iid Jd that A. A F. F Whitney and Alvanley Johnston of ot the firemen fire fire- men and engineers were the first called They will b be followed In intervals by representatives representative of th the tho theother other big five ive brotherhoods aswell as 81 aswell well as s 's by officials of of the 15 non non- operating brotherhoods Separate Talks Ross Rose RO s told White House that at the president had invited both sides in for for- separate separate- talks The move is designed to avert a a. astrike astrike strike of firemen and ex en en The railroads are now being operated by bythe the government The purpose of bringing these gentlemen in is to effect a settlement settle ment if possible Ross said in re response response to questions Earlier John R. R Steelman a. a White House labor adviser had said that I 1 don't dont know about tho the chances for a settlement Steelman declined to talk talk about about Whit a final proposition which ney said the brotherhoods had submitted to nt earlle ear ear- lle lier Im rm deaf du dumb b and bUnd blind Whitney told newsmen in response to queries Best Proposition jr M Meantime a a high government official said that gov government me eff efforts rb were b being i ng g con concentrated ori ted on the broth brotherhoods brotherhoods' demands for wo working r I k kin 1 ii g g rules changes rather r than t an on on wage de des de mands He Hc explained that the uth rul rules s are axe where the money oney r really all comes in n. The strike of engineers and trainmen is set for 4 p p. p in in each ach standard time zone Thursday We gave Mr Steelman a final proposition Whitney said It uIt i la Is better etter than any we have submitted yet Whitney declined to give any de des de tails saying have to ask Dr Steelman about that Tho Thea union leader said It was the sec lee ond offer made since the two brotherhoods scaled caled down their wage demands from an an original minimum of 2 0 a day and 25 generally to a minimum a ad a aday aday d day y with a general 18 wage boost We Ve are waiting to hear from from the government whether the new offer is ac acceptable to the ca car cari Hers Whitney said A spokesman for the car carriers lers told newsmen that tha his group has neither heard from Dr Steelman Wednesday nor had any word word of t. t a White House visit Whitney said he did not know whether Steel Steelman man would invite only the brotherhoods broth to the White bite House Howe or both the carriers and brother brother- hoods Negotiators said solution lu o of the dispute would be relatively r simple if it only wages were at issue One of ot the carrier spokesmen deS de'S deSee de- de S 'S See e Page 2 Column 5 S RAIL STRIKE Continued from Page One scribed brotherhood demands for changes in 45 working rules as by far the most troublesome feature in the whole picture Working rules are arc stipulated conditions under which p perform their duties duties Among changes proposed by the brotherhoods brotherhoods brotherhoods brother brother- hoods of at locomotive engineers and trainmen are that the them carriers pay for all uniforms ns arid and reimburse men for time lost during depot and switching delays delay and stop stop- overs The carriers estimate the proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed rules changes would cost them a year They have agreed to pay the hourly hourly hourly hour hour- ly increase for all aU their workers as recommended by factfinding factfinding factfinding fact- fact finding boards functioning under the railway labor law They estimate estimate esti mate this would cost them The brotherhoods however demand demand demand de de- de- de mand an 18 wage boost with a daily dally minimum increase The carriers calculate this will amount to a hourly increase a man and cost them about Seeks Compromise Steelman told reporters he still sun was trying to work out a compromise com corn promise bet between the brotherhoods' brotherhoods demands and the finding fact rec rec- In this he re reported reported reported re- re ported making perhaps a little progress but not much Presidents A. A F F. F Whitney of the trainmen and Alvanley Johnston of ot the locomotive engineers said in a statement We Ve hope we are making progress toward a settlement settlement settlement settle settle- ment but a carrier spokesman commented privately It looks awfully forlorn to me those fellows fellows fellows fel fel- fel- fel lows are adamant |