New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-10
President Will Have Confer
enCe at White House on
Erdman Act.
RAILROADS AND MEN FIRM
Delegates of Employees Gather
ing for Big Meeting Sat
urday, When War Is
To Be Declared,


for higher pay are granted marked tl'''e
Yesterday. President Wilson and heads Oh
civic bodies took action TO avert 'ne
threatened strike by planning confer
orce Monday at the White House
The conference will have for It's ooJe''
49, o,ebipa through the Congress the
orendments TO the Erdman act "h'oh
will remove the announced
tho railroads to arbitrating the dispute
under the law.
The committee Of one hundred lep''
sentine the conductors and trainmeh VI
carnations held several executive liiee'
ines AT the Broadway Central Hotel 10 d.
range for the big meeting OF the sene'" al
committee of one thousand on SATURDAY
when if Is expected the general STRIKE oi-
der will be issued.
Elisha Lee, chairman OF the conference
committee of managers, declared the'e
was no possibility of the raiIroaos
ceding from their present attitude Oh re-
fus,ng TO meet the demands OF the EN-
Moves. Arbitration did not properly en-
tor into the present controversy he said
..Tbe intimation has come from the
leaders Of the conductors and trainmeh'
said Mr.. Lee, that the railroads are
shouting loudly against the raise III
wages because Of the recent request lot
increased freight rates. That has noth-
ing to do with II.
Reason for Higher Freight Rates
THE request for higher freight rates
was made to afford the railroads an OPP
portunity for lettering equipment ana
terminal facilities in order to serve more
fully the public convenience, not TO meet
the extravagant demands OF the en-
ployes."
Strong strike talk was heard on every
hand among the members OF the COM
mittee Of one hundred at the Broadway
Central Hotel yesterday. Some OF them
de6ed the railroads TO maintain their
present attitude One committeeman
said
THE men will all walk out on strike
within a few days for the cause which
we believe to be right. The public VIII
he the worst sufferer New York VIII be
made hungry within three or four days
after the strike is declared. II there are
any backsliders in the unions VINO neeo
little persuasion they Will get H. Inc
men will be instructed to take the trains
10 the terminals and then quietly go
home.
.Thev will be told TO keep away from
the railroads and avoid any violence, put
- lot of scabs are drafted Tor their
nlaces II will be hard TO tell what may
bapnen. I have been in strikes where
scab train crews were unable to reach
their trains with their lanterns intact
The glasses were shot out
The prospective strikers were emphatic
in their denials that many Of the rail-
roads could furnish competent men 10
take their places They declared that
none Of the railroads involved in the
controversy had enough men they couio
use TO materially relieve the tie-up Which
was bound 10 follow strike.
Less Pay on Eastern Roads.
At the close Of the sessions Of the
committee OF one hundred yesterday w.
G. Lee, president e the Brotherhood Oh
Railroad Trainmen made a statement
setting forth the demands OF the tram
men and conductors and giving COM
harrison Of figures as regards the pay Oh
the employees of the Western and South-
ern railroads He declared that though
the Eastern railroads were the wealthiest
IN the country, the Western and South
ern roads were paying their freight con-
ductors and trainmen more, He made
the following table Of comparison:
ra.,.,, roads cen-hour-day basis % 100
,,,iie rnn1-FreiKh, conductors get So 63 a day.
trainmen get 81 ~ DAY. L., ..,. ,oo mile
run)SFreight conductors get 81 Is day.
trainmen get 81 rs day. -. ,oo ,,,,.
Southern roads (ten-hour-day basis lV-nhle
rpD9UFr.ight conductors get 81 10 day;
trainmen get 81 IS day
Elisha Lee Of the managers committee
;ssued a statement in answer to w. G.
Lee. in which he said w. G. Lee failed
10 inform the public that the higher rates
IN the West and South were secured
through. coercion. and that they were no
justification for increasing the liberal
wages already paid in the Eastern terri
tory
AZ meeting Of the employees commit
tee last night II was said the large dining
room Of the Broadway Central Hotel had
been offered for the meeting Of the gem
eral committee Saturday and Sunday.
II was announced last night by members
of the committee which drafted the bill
amending the Erdman act that confer
once in reference 10 the amendments pro-
posed would take place at the White
House Monday afternoon. The confer
ence was arranged by Secretary Wilson
of the Department Of Labor and Seth
Low. president of the National Civic Fed
GRAFTON.
Among those who will attend will be
Seth Low, president, and Ralph NJ. Eas-
lev. secretary, Of the executive council Of
the Civic Federation; Judge Martin A.
Krapp. of the United States Commerce
Court. and presidents of several rail-
roads and OF railroad brotherhoods. all Of
whom are members Of the committee
which drafted the bill amending the Erd-
man act.
From The Tribune Bureau
Washington, July 9-Moved by the
prospects Of a serious strike on the east
ern railroads the House will take action
Saturday on the Newlands- Clayton bill %
extend the Erdman act and TO provide
satisfactory means OF arbitrating the diff
fcrences between the common carriers
and their employees
The bill. which II is hoped will meet the
present critical situation. has passed the
Senate and the way was paved to-day for