The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-07-15

WASHINGTON, July -. = The next
step paving the way toward a peaceful
settlement of the wage dispute between
eastern railroads and their trainmen
was in prospect today when the House
assembled to pass the Newlands bill
amending the Erdman act to provide
arbitration in a manner satisfactory to
roads and men. and the Senate as
sembled to accept changes that the
House has agreed to make All sides
expected that the bill would be ont OF
Congress and become a law by night,
President Wilson having said he would
sign the measure Immediately.
With the passage of the new law
the selection of a government commits
sioner of mediation viii be the next
step. Among those being mentioned
are Martin A. Knapp, presiding Judge
of the commerce court, DR.. Charles T..
Neill, former commissioner of labor,
and William Lea Chambers.
The House judiciary committee has
already agreed to the Newlands bill
in a form satisfactory TO all parties.
Representatives of the $4,000 con
ductors and trainmen of eastern rail
ways, who have voted to strike for
higher wages, and managing officers of
yesterday to submit their differences
to arbitration under the provisions of
the Newlands Clayton act, which Presi-
dent Wilson and congressional leaders
promised to make law by tonight. In
the meantime no strike will be declar-
ed, officials of the employees, brother
hoods agreeing to an armistice until
tomorrow night. This victory for arbi-
tration over the strike was the result
of a two-hOurs conference at the
White House between President Viii
son and congressional leaders, both Re-
puhlicans and Democrats, the presidents
and managers of the railroads and rep
resentatives of the brotherhoods of
trainmen and conductors. The agree
ment not only averted, temporarily at
least, the strike which threatened to
tie up railroad traffic generally in the
East, but smoothed out differences of
opinion that had arisen in both houses
as to the composition of the board of
mediation, and provided permanent
commission to deal with railroad dis
putes.
The pathway was cleared for prompt
action in both houses, Senator Kern
Itelephoning from the White House to
have the Senate adjourn until today in
S'NNu VI do httAiltAsttttl;
and Representative Clayton announcing
that he would move to take from the
speaker s table his bill to which
amendments in conformity with the
Newlands bill in the Senate would be
attacked. The President later an
nounced that he would sign measure
such as agreed upon and describe the
conference as "simple and satisfac-
tory
Seth Low, president of the national
civic federation, who had been instru-
mental in bringing the railroad heads
and labor leaders together, acted as
spokesman for both sides, relating to
the President the details of the legis-
lative situation that had arisen In the
attempt to provide substitution for the
Erdman act. The original board of ar
bitration provided under that act was
independent OF any government depart
ment. but one of its members-the
commissioner Of labor--had since been
included under the department of la
Dor, where his duties had been increas-
led so that only part of his time could
be given to labor disputes