The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-21
ARB|TRATORS WILL
BEGIN WORK TODAY
By Tonight the Country Win
Know if Railroad En-
ployees Will Strike.
CONFER WITH WILSON
Governments Representatives
Visit White House Before
Going to New York.
CONFER WITH WILSON
BY International News Service.

DS 1HleI ClOndl news service.
NEW YORK, July 2O.-Before TO-
morrow night the country will know
whether or not the conductors and
tralnmen on the eastern railroads will
make effective the threat to strike be
cause of the refusal of the managers
TO grant 90 per cent increase in pay.
If it is possible for the employees and
the conference committee representing
the railroads to agree on arbitration
the articles will be signed Immediately
as provided in the Newlands amend
ment to the Erdman act.
A conference, which will bring to.
gether the union leaders and the rail-
road officials, has been called for 10
o o'clock tomorrow morning at the Man
haitian hotel. The negotiations will be
conducted under the supervision Of
Judge Martin A. Knapp, Judge Will
liam Lee Chambers and G. W. w. Han
ger, the commissioners of mediation
appointed by President Wilson, who
were confirmed by the senate late on
Saturday.
Final Conference.
The government representatives
were expected here today, but tele-
Washington TO have a further confer
ence with President Wilson.
The union leaders, A. B. Garretson
and w. G. Lee, were jubilant tonight
over the prospect of peaceful settle
ment of the controversy. Their efforts
to avoid a strike which would paralyze
the business Of the eastern and middle
Atlantic states have won the support
of the National Civic Federation and
such men as Seth Low.
The employees have at all times ex
pressed willingness to arbitrate the
wage question, but the conference COM
mittee representing the railroads re-
fused to meet them half way on the
ground that the Erdman act providing
for arbitration was defective. At the
request of President Wilson the oppos-
ing factions agreed upon the New,
lands amendment, which was enacted
into law.
Eight Grievances.
The railroads then came forward
with a list of eight grievances which
they demanded settled at the same
time as the wage matter was taken
up. The union leaders claimed that this
direct effort to decrease the pay OF
every man in the service by doing away
with monthly guarantees.
1t is now believed that the railroad
companies will be compelled to with
draw from the position they have taken
as the employees have agreed to con-
slider the grievances of the companies
as soon as the wage question is out of
the way.
Messrs. Garretson and Lee declined
to add anything to the controversy TO-
day,
"The entire matter rests with Presi-
dent Wilson IS mediators for the pres
ent,' said Mr.. Lee. EWe have been
asked to meet the commissioners to-
morrow morning and are prepared to
sign an agreement to settle the con-
troversy over wages by arbitration. We
will not permit the issue to be confused
with any grievance the companies may
have trumped up.
Have Kept Faith.
"We have kept faith with President
Wilson and with the conference com.
mittee representing the railroads. If
they do not keep faith with us there
will be a strike and it will not be
long coming
A week ago today delegates repre-
senting $4,000 conductors and train
men met Ia New York and voted to
strike if their demands were not met.
A. B. Garretson and W. G. Lee were
empowered to fix the date for the men
to quit work if they found it impos-
sible to effect q satisfactory settlement
OF the difrerences.