Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-15


| tives of the $4,000 conductors ano
trainmen of Eastern railways who
have voted to strike for higher wag IS
and managing officers of the railroads
agreed at the White House, today, to
submit their differences to arbitration
under the provisions of the Newlands-
| Clayton act, which President Wilson
and congressional leaders promised to
make law by tomorrow night. In the
| meantime no strike will be declared,
officials of the employees brotherhoods
agreeing to an armistice until Wednes-
| day night.
This victory for arbitration over the
strike was the result of two-hour
conference at the White House be-
| tween President Wilson and congress
| sionai leaders, both Republican and
| Democrats, the Presidents and man.
ayers of the railroads and represen-
| tatives of the brotherhoods of Train
| men and Conductors. The agreement
not only averted temporarily, at least
| the strike which threatened to tie up
railroad traffic generally in the East.
but smoothed out differences of opin-
| ion that had arisen in both houses as
| to the composition of the board of
mediation and provided a permanent
commission to deal with railroad dis
pntes.
The pathway was cleared for
| prompt action in both houses, Sena-
tor Kern telephoning from the White
| House to have the Senate adjourn
until tomorrow instead of Thursday,
as contemplated, and Rep. Clayton
| Announcing that he would move to
| take from the speakers table his bill
10 which amendments in conformity
| with the Newlands bill in the Senate
would be attached.
The President announced later that
| he would sign a measure such as that
agreed upon and described the con-
ference as Simple and satisfactory"
Seth Low, president of the National
Civic Federation, who has been in
strumental in bringing the railroad
heads and labor leaders together, act
ed as spokesman for both sides, relat-
ing to the President the details of
the legislative situation that had aris-
en- in the attempt to provide a SUBJ
stitute for the Erdman act. The orig
inal board of arbitration provided I'M
der that act was Independent of any
government department but one of
its membership commissioner of
labor-had since been included under
the department of labor where his du-
ties had been increased so that only
a portion of his time could be given
to labor disputes.
The bill introduced in the House by
Representative Clayton, chairman of
the Judiciary committee, originally was
1 Iav,t I,
Senate by Senator Newlands, but had
| been amended at the instance of Sec
rotary Wilson of the department of la
Dor, who wished the arbitration board
To consist of nine members who were to
be under the jurisdiction of his depart
| ment.
At todays conference, however, Sec
| rotary Wilson, while expressing his
preference for the amended Clayton
bill. announced that he would not in
sist on ii and an agreement was i'm
| medlately reached to put through the
| Newlahds bill of which both parties
TO the controversy had previously ex-
pressed their approval with two minor
provisions of the Clayton bin incor-
porated. Before tomorrow night both
houses probably will have passed a
perfected bill to be sent to the Presi
dent for his signature.
| Inc perfected bill will create the United
states Board of Mediation and Consilia-
'loh TO be composed of a commissioner
OF mediation and Cancellation appointed
by the President with the consent of the
senate, with salary of $500 and a tenure
OF seven years, and not more than two
other officials of the government already
appointed by the President, with the con.
| sent of the Senate, who shall be designat.
| ed by him as the two other members OF
the board. There also would be an assist
ant commissioner, with salary of $500
| authorized to act in the commissioner 5
absence.
| For the settlement of controversies as
| they might arise, the measure would pro.
vide for boards of arbitration of six OIL
three to be selected with the help of the
| board of mediation and Cancellation
| wherever necessary. The latter boarc
would pass upon any disagreements
among the arbitrators. Awards made by
the board would be executed by the fed.
eral courts. with which appeals could be
filed.
President Wilson expressed his gratih
cation after the conference that an agree.
| ment had been reached on disputed
points. He referred to the suggestions
made as "just and reasonable" and saw
no reason, he said, why Congress should
not act upon them now to prevent grea
Inconvenience and perhaps disastrou:
situation for the carrying business of tht
country The President said he woule
name the new commission as quickly al
possible and that the contending partie:
had assured him that they would avail
legislative action.
The merits of the controversy
itself were not touched in today's con-
ference, the legislative side alone be-
ing canvassed. Aside from President
Wilson, those who took part in the
conference were:
Seth Low. president of the National
Civic Federation; Judge Martin A
Knapp of the Commerce Court; w
c. Brown, president of the New York
Central, Samuel Rea, president OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad; Davio
Willard president of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad: George W. stephens
president of the c. & o.; Frank
TRANQUIL, chairman of the G. & O