Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-14
CONFERRING IN HOPE
OF AVERTING STRIKE
Continued from First Page,

tect the interest of all parties con-
cerned.
Should the Newlands bill be enact
ed into law the committee will, of
course. be willing to submit to arbi-
tration by a board provided in the
Newlands bill all questions of rates
of pay and working conditions of
conductors and trainmen."
The reply is addressed to Messrs.
Lee and Garretson, heads of the
trainmen's and conductors organiza-
tions respectively and is signed by
Elisha Lee, chairman.
The roads having refused to arb-
trate under the Erdman act in its
present form, and the employees hav-
ing refused to modify their demands,
apparently the only compromise pos
sible lay in alteration of the law by.
increasing the number of arbitrator
from 3 to 6, thus removing the rail
roads chief objection to the act.
With a strike authorized by an
| overwhelmingly majority and ratified
by general committees of both unions,
Presidents Lee and Garrison of the
trainmen and conductors, respective
| ly, were authorized last night to defer
calling walkout pending the out
| come of the Washington conference.
Both left for Washington last night.
| In New York today there was to be
a meeting of the managers committee
at which yesterdays decision by the
union was to be submitted.
Unions Notify Road Managers.
The conference committee of rail-
road managers today received from
the unions formal notification that the
strike vote had been ratified yester-
day. The statement recites that the
general committee of the unions,
meeting separately "have unanimous
ly approved the strike vote" and have
authorized Messrs. Lee and Garrett
son to fix the hour at which these
organizations will retire from serv-
| ice"
The letter says that Lee and Garrett
son have at the earnest solicitation
of dislnterested interests" been au-
| thorized to attend today's conference
at Washington and adds:
THE local committeeman Nave re-
turned to their homes under instruc-
| tion not to return to the service,
pending further instructions and we
sincerely trust that a crisis may not
be precipitated by an effort to compel
any of those committeeman to return
to service"
Lee and Garretson Alone Know Date.
Most of the delegates who attended
the convention that ratified the strike
vote left the city late last night. The
general committee of one hundred Is
still here. Lee and Garretson expect
| to return to New York tomorrow
morning. Before leaving they said
that the hour for calling the men out,
in the event no settlement could be
reached was unknown to anybody ex-
| cept themselves.
Both sides to the wage controversy
are in favor of the Newlands amend
ment to the Erdman act, which pro-
vides for an arbitration board of six
members. who are empowered to act
Independently of the Interstate Com
MERGE Commission or the Department
OF Labor.
Wilson Favors Clayton Bill.
| In spite of this situation, Secretary
Wilson is said to have the support of
President Wilson in favoring the
Clayton amendment which gives the
Department of Labor jurisdiction
over any board of arbitration organ
lied under the Erdman act.
The Importance of the White House
conference is recognized by the fact
| that the presidents of the leading
railway systems involved are to take
part in person instead of leaving 1t
to the committee of managers, who up
to this have been unsuccessful in
| dealing with the union men.
w c. Brown. of the New York
| Central, looms up as the most COM
manding figure in the situation now.
! 1t is known to be due to his influence
that the union men are to have per-
sonal representatives at the confer
ence.
Almost up to the closing hour of
the meeting at Webster Hall the men
| remained firm in their decision to
keep away from Washington. The
claim was made that the railroads.
through the committee of managers,
had fatty refused the demands for
more pay, and consequently there
was nothing to arbitrate
-. ~ hcuu tohuuttOT touftF.
President Brown is said to have
been the man who stepped into the
breach Shortly after l o'clock the
doorman at Webster Hall went into
the room where the strike resolution
was being drawn aid notified one of
the most prominent union leaders
that he was wanted on the long-dis-
lance telephone. 1t was the president
of the New York C-Itral at the other
end of the line and the man at this
end was an old conductor who ran
train out in Ohio when Brown was
struggling along as dispatcher.
When the conversation had ended
the union officials had agreed to go
to the men and urge them to have a
representation at Washington.
In addition to the railway officials
and the union men the conference
will be attended by Seth Low, presi-
dent of the National Civic Fedora
ton; Marcus NJ. Marks and Ralph
Easley. Of the same body.
Statement Issued by Men.
Here Is the substance Of the state
ment issued by the union men at the
close of their deliberations:
This is to certify that the general
grievance committee of the con-
ductors and trainmen, in secret con-
ference today, carefully canvassed
the result of the vote of the members
and find that more than the neces-
sary two-thirds have voted in favor
of leaving the service, unless a salts
factory settlement of pending ques-
lions could be otherwise secured.