Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-09-01
RAILROAD ISSUE
DEBATED BEFORE
j, S. SENATORS
Railway Officials and Broth.
erhood Leaders at Com
mittee Hearing.

:" llStoll, aug. 1l.-RepfeSenta-
| tives of the railroads, of the train
mems bSotherhoods and of shippers
organizations argued for nine hours
! today before the interstate commerce
committee of the senate on legislation
proposed by President Wilson to
avert the threatened strike, to recon-
pense the roads for the added finan-
cial burden and perfect machinery to
make impossible in the future another
crisis like the present.
Tonight, the members of the senate
committee worked until late on a bill
to be presented to the senate tomor-
row.
Out of the nine hours argument
two facts stood out clearly in the
estimate of all affected parties:
Congress alone can prevent strike,
and the public eventually will foot
the bill for an eight-hou day with
ten hours pay.
The railroad executives and the
shippers insisted that the strike or
der at least should be postponed, and
the four brotherhood chiefs with
equal vehemence that it should not.
All sides, apparently, were more or
less satisfied with the hearing which
had given them an opportunity to lay
their cases before the public.
GarretsOn Center Of Dramatic Scene.
A dramatic scene in which A. B.
Garretson, spokesman for the train
men and president of the Order of
Railway Conductors, was the central
figure, brought the hearing to eli
max tonight shortly after the testi-
mony closed.
Turnout the day members of the
committee at different times had ask
ed the brotherhood heads if they
were powerless to stop the strike save
by reporting satisfactory settlement
to their organizations. The question
was invariably evaded. the reply be-
ing that Mr.. Garretson would explain
the situation before the hearing clos
ed.
For almost an hour Mr. Garretson
kept the assemblage entertained with
droll, quaint expressions and humor-
Gus stories. When he had only three
minutes left, his brother presidents
urged him to answer the question of
power to postpone the strike. He
suddenly looked up, stood gazing at
the ceiling for a moment, and then
began to speak:
Fears to BE Termed ''Traitor.7
eve have been asked" he said
slowly, "if we have the power to de-
fer the strike which has been called
for next Monday. / have power to-
defer that date in my organization,
but in the other organizations the
situation is different. The heads of
back the strike order.
"But here is where l stand: For
years my men have trusted me. When
| stood before the president the other
night, and>he asked me if this could
be done I found my Gethsemane. To
the men who have entrusted me with
all these things, l hold my first obi
cation. l can put it off, but If l did
without gaining satisfactory settle
ment. there would linger in the
minds of those who have trusted me
thoughts of treason; if l put 1t off,
across a fair record of 30 years would
be written the word Traitor
For moment he paused, and
seemed to- look over the heads of his
hearers, far away. Then tears came
into his eyes, and rolled down his
cheeks. He started to speak, but the
sound was more like sob. Appar-
emily summoning all his self-control,
he threw out his hands in gesture
of despair, lowered mis- eyes, and, IN
a low voice, asked: "Can l face it?'
and dropped into his chair.
Not a person moved for several sec
onds. Mr.. Garretson relieved the sit
uation by rising from his chair 'and
leaving the chamber.
Elisha Lee, chairman OF the niana-
gers committee, headed the delega-
tion of railway officials, which IN
cluded President Underwood or tne
Erie. President Willard of the Balti-
more & Ohio, Samuel Rea, president
of the Pennsylvania; Fairfax Harrl,
son. president of the Southern. ana
R. s. Lovett, chairman OF the poaro
of the Union Pacific.
Representing the men were A. q;
Garretson, w. G. Lee, w. 5. stone anu
W. S. Carter, the four brotherhood
heads. Officials of the American feu.
Grafton of Labor, headed by President