Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1913-07-18
WILSON
RETURNS TO CAPITAL.

Washington, July 14.-President
Wilson returning from a brief yaea-
tion at Cornish, n. H., plunged at
once into an accumulation of work.
AT his regular audience today with
the newspaper men, he said he was
confident that the threatened strike
OF eastern trainmen would be settled
by arbitration.
Acting on request by the Nation
al Civic Federation which is holding
a meeting here to urge amendments
to the Erdman arbitration act, the
president and Secretary of Labor w.
B. Wilson will confer this afternoon
with representatives of the railroads
involved and their conductors and
trainmen. 1t is feared that il the
eastern railroad employees walk out,
the strike may spread to the south
and west, where conductors and train
men probably would refuse to handle
trains turned over to them by strike
breakers.
The engineers and firemen are also
expected to assist the strikers, If
walkout is ordered. Under the Erd-
man act, the engineers and firemen
are prevented from striking while
there is a prospect of arbitration, but
it is expected they will aid their fell
low workers in other ways. Secre-
tary Wilson issued a statement that
besides President Wilson and himself,
the following will participate in this
afternoons conference:
Senator Newlands of Nevada, chair
man of the senate committee on
commerce. Congressman Clayton of
Alabama, chairman of the house ju-
dietary committee; Congressman
Mann of Illinois, leader of the repub-
lican minority; President Rea of the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad; President
Willard of the Baltimore & Ohio;
President Stevens of the Chesapeake
& Ohio; Chairman Trumbull of the
Chesapeake & Ohio executive board;
President Brown of the New York
Central; President Wickersham of
the Atlanta & West Point railroad;
President Warren Stone Of the Broth
Ierhood of Locomotive Engineers;
President Carter of the Brotherhood
of Railway Firemen; President Lee
of the Brotherhood of Railway Train
men, and President Garretson of the
Order of Railway Conductors.
President Wilson said he was de-
termined to prevent the threatened
railroad tie-up He declared he
would not sit idle at this afternoon s
conference. The details of the presi-
dents plan to bring the railroad man
ayers and their employees together to
effect an arbitration provision has not
yet been worked out. AS soon as he
arrived today the president called for
the documents in the case.
Asked whether he would support
Secretary Wilson's position and ad-
vocate the Clayton amendment to the
Erdman act, giving the department
of labor authority over a mediation
and cOnciiation board of six mem
bers to replace the board of three
created by the Erdman act, or would
back the Newlands' amendment, max
ing the board independent, which is
favored by the railroad officials and
the National Civic Federation, Pres
ident Wilson said he was undecided.
There had been too much effort, he
thought, to create a controversy. If
necessary, the president will make a
public demand upon both sides to
arbitrate the dispute, as was done by
President Roosevelt during the an
Ithracite coal strike.
The conductors and trainmen are
willing to arbitrate, the president
said, and he believes that the rail
roads will not refuse to take similar
action if he asks them.
The consensus of opinion here Is
that the Newlands' amendment will
be approved this afternoon, that the
leaders of the house will hurry its
passage by tomorrow night and that
the president will at once sign the
measure. Then it is expected the
. railroads will reopen negotiations
under the new law, The Newlands
b amendment is said to be favored by
tho haads of tho railway brot her