Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-08-05
ENC|NEMEN WILL
NOT STRIKE FRIDAY
The impending Strike Averted
Through President Wilson's
Prompt Action.

The threatened railroad strike was
averted Monday, when President Will
sons appeal to the railroad managers
brought them to accept the plan Of
settlement proposed by the federal
board of mediation. The letter to
President Wilson was as follows:
Washington, D. G., Aug. 3, 1914.
Dear Mr. President-Our commit
tee has been fully impressed with the
grave public considerations that you
so strongly urged upon us in our con-
ference of Saturday with you, and
again in your letter delivered to US
last night
Under any ordinary circumstances
we should feel that our plain duty to
the interests committed to our charge
would not merely justify, but would re-
,quire us to insist upon plan of arbi-
tration that would recognize our right
to be heard upon claims regularly pre-
sented on our behalf. But we also ap-
preciate keenly, as you have pointed
out, that an unparalleled condition has
arisen which hardly permits full
consideration Of the merits of our
case, and which constrains you to ask
us to waive any discussion of merits
and accept the plan Of arbitration pro-
posed by the mediators, which you
feel convinced offers, under the exist
ing circumstances, the only possible
way Of averting a disastrous strike
upon all the railroads of the western
half Of the United States.
''In view, therefore, of the situation
as you have presented it, and of your
appeal to our patriotism and to our re-
gard for the public welfare, we beg to
express to you herewith our accept
ance of the plan of arbitration propos-
ed. Respectfully,
"A. w. Trenholm,
chairman Conference Committee
Of Managers"
The settlement caused much satis-
faction at Willmar where the threat
ened strike would have caused much
hardship to railroad men as we'll rs
the public. The date for the strike
had been set for Friday, Aug. 7. The
following item gives the situation as
it stood Saturday night, when Presi
dent Wilson made the final and sue
cessful appeal:
Chicago, Aug. IA strike Of S.,
900 firemen and engineers on ninety
eight railroads operating west of Chi
cago has been set for Aug. 7, it was
officially announced. Warren s
Stone, grand chief engineer Of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
and w. S. Carter, president of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemer
and Enginemen, declared the order
would be put into effect unless the
general managers committee of thu
railroads accepted the plan of settle
ment proposed by the federal board
of mediation.
In a signed statement President!
Stone and Carter asserted that afte.
the managers committee had invok
ed the services of the federal board o
mediation and conciliation the com
mittee had refused to accept the pla1
of settlement proposed by the fed
eral mediators, and thus the burdel
of responsibility of the strike mus
rest upon the railroads.
The three principal causes Of tn
strike, according to the statement o
Messrs. Stone and Carter, are:
The manner in which railroads hav
repudiated arbitration agreements.
The manner in which the managers
committee has excited the anger O
the enginemen in the service by thei
arbitrary attitude.
Because the railroads seem detel
mined to force the employees to abar
don the mileage basis of pay withou
being willing to adopt the hourl
basis of pay.