Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-07-10
WILSON TRY To
PREVENT
Plans Conference at the
White Houss Between Rail-
road Officials and Men.
ARBITRATION SEEMS SURE
Want Congress to Change
Erdman Act So as to In
crease Representation
ARBITRATION SEEMS SURE

Washington, July 10.-The threaten
VI strike. that would tie up all rail
roads west Of the Mississippi river
may be averted. Announcement was
made at the White House that Presi-
dent Wilson will have an important
conference at the White House at 8
O'clock next Monday afternoon with
representatives, of the railroads as well
as Of the brotherhoods of conductors
and trainmen concerned.
The purpose of the conference Is to
seek satisfactory agreement upon
legislation for the amendment of the
Erdman law for the arbitration of
wage controversies between railroads
and their employees so as to meet the
crisis and avert the strike. The indi-
cations are that there will be an agree
ment reached at Mondays conference
that will smooth out differences be-
tween senate and house leaders over
the terms Of the pending Newlands
and Clayton bills and that legislation
will be enacted next week under
which the railroads and the conductors
and trainmen will be willing to submit
their differences to arbitra ton.
There will be about eight or ten rep
resentatives of the railroads, the con-
ductors and trainmen, at Mondays
conference. Their names have not yet
been transmitted to Washington, but
1t Is understood that President A. B.
Garretson Of the Order Of Railway
Conductors, President w. q. Lee Of
the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
and Persia Lee of the conference COM
m1ttee Of managers OF the forty-two
Interested eastern railroads will head
the respective delegations at the White
House. Secretary William B. Wilson
of the department of labor will partici-
pate. Senator Newlands, chairman Of
the senate committee on interstate
commerce, and Chairman Clayton of
the house judiciary committee and pos
sibly Representative James r. Mann,
the minority floor leader of the house,
may also be present at the conference.
Asreement Sesms Sure.
Many prior disputes were adjusted
by arbitration under the Erdman act
but both capital and labor have de-
veloped increased dissatisfaction with
the results obtained.
Developments here indicate unmis-
takably that an agreement will be OBJ
tained that will satisfy both the labor
brotherhoods and the railroad officials
Officials In a position to know the In
side details of the situation and who
have been in touch with both sides Of
the controversy say they believe the
differences can be adjusted and that
there will be no strike.
The bill for the amendment Of the
Erdman act was introduced in the SEN
ate by Senator Newlands and in the
house by Representative Clayton on
June II. The two bills were identical
The draft had been brought to Wash
lngton by Seth Low Of the National
Civic federation, which had succeeded
In bringing about the formulation of q
measure providing for mediation, con-
c1l1aion and arbitration In such con-
tovers1es. The bill as introduced was
satisfactory to the brotherhoods and
the railroads. The Newlands bill pass
ed the senate without amendment and
Is now on Speaker Clark's table await
Ing consideration by the house of rep
resentatives. Meanwhile, on June 26,
the house had reported the Clayton bill
with amendments that were satisfac-
tory neither to the brotherhoods nor
the railroads
The basic points Of difference In the
two bills relate to the size Of the arbi
tration board authorized for the settle
ment Of disputes between railroads and
their employees and to the personnel
Of the proposed federal board of medi-
alton and conciliation. The bill was
changed In these essentials because
Secretary Wilson Of the department of
labor offered uncompromising objec-
tons to the bill passed by the senate.