Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1914-08-07
WILSON'S PLAN TO BE FOLLOWED
BY NINETY-EIGHT WESTERN
RAILROADS AND ENGINE
MEN CONCERNED.
BOTH AGREE TO PRESENT
CASE TO FEDERAL BOARD
Trouble Has Narrowed to Single Issue
and Difference Is Now Thrown
Away in Patriotic Spirit, De-
clare the Railroad
Men.

washington, Aug. 5.-Managers of
IS western railroads urged by Presi-
dent Wilson to place patriotism above
property interstate, consented to arbi-
trate their differences with $4,000 en-
ginemen and tiremen, and prevented
what threatened to be one of the most
extensive transportation strikes the
country has seen.
Railroad Men Consent.
The railroad men consented to pre-
sent the case for settlement in a way
alrsady approved by the employees and
the federal board of mediation to avert
what the president characterized as a
national disaster" although they rea-
lized, and President Wilson pointed
out, that all the merits of their side
could not be taken into consideration
Statement Issued by Roads.
Chairman Chambers of the board of
mediation alse began preparations for
bringing the dispute to arbitration
and the railroad managers and the la
Dor leader left the city
The railroad managers issued the
following statement:
THE controversy between the west.
ern railroads and their enginemen
finally narrowed to a single issue,
namely, Can these railroads be heard
in arbitration On the claims made by
them during their negotiations with
their men?
ITO avoid all possibility that under
an arbitration award a reduction in
pay might be forced upon the men, the
railroads proposed that the arbitration
agreement should give to the men on
each road the right to elect, after a
complete schedule was awarded by ar
bitrators, either to adopt the schedule
thus awarded Or to continue their
prior schedule
Duty to Assist Plans.
"The railroads felt that their plain
duty required them to insist upon a
plan of arbitration which would rec
ognize their right to be heard upon
the claims on their behalf which were
regularly presented and discussed with
the men during the negotiations, but
in response to the request of the presi-
dent on July 20, that both sides con-
fer with him before final adverse de-
c1sion by either side, the committee
of managers came to Washington with
open minds, prepared to cooperate
with the president and to make what
ever contribution to peaceful settle
ment of the controversy was demand
ed by our duty to the public.
"At our conference with the presi-
dent on Saturday and again in his let
ter to us on Sunday, the president
strongly urged that in view of world
wide conditions the situation had
reached a crisis in which patriotism
and a regard for public welfare were
paramount to all other considerations
even to the sacrifice of what, in Ordi-
nary circumstances, might properly be
insisted upon as right.
Respond to Appeal.
"The railroads have responded to
this appeal by accepting the plan of
mediation proposed by the mediators,
which provides that no claims other
than those of the employees as origi-
lally presented, shall be submitted to
arbitration, and which plan, in the
Judgment of the president, offered the
My means under the existing circum-
stances Of averting what might prove
to be a disastrous strike"