Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-01
ASKS CONGRESS FOR
POWER To OPERATE
ROADS IN EMERGENCY
President DecireS Right to
Operate Railways in Case of
Military Necessity - Says
National Defense Demands 1t

MAStlNGIONs aug. ~ iSsANSAA
Wilson laid the railway strike situation
before congress at ESQ o'clock this aft
ernoon in an address to both houses
assembled in joint session. The presi
dent told congress of his efforts tc
bring the railroad managers and the
men into some sort of agreement and
saying he was powerless to do more
he asked congress to enact certain spe
cific legislation to deal with the situa
ton now and in the future.
Pointing out the distress and hard
ships which a nationwide strike would
bring upon TIE country the president
asked congress TO empower him to draft
into the service of the United States
the very managers and men who have
been unable 40 adjust their differences
so that the government may operate
the railroads in case of military neces-
sity. He proposed that congress first
enlarge the membership of the inter
state commerce commission to equip II
to deal with larger situations;
Second, that an eight-hour day be
established for all trainmen I'm inter
state commerce;
4 Third, that a commission investigate
the effect of the eight-hour day, bur
without recommendation. that the pub
lie may learn from a disinterested source
OF the merits OF the question.
COST OF EIGHT-HoUR DAY.
Fourth. that the interstate commerce
commission consider the increased cost
of the eight-hOur day in making rates
and.
Fifth, amend the mediation law to
prevent strikes o. lockouts while indus
trial disputes are being investigated.
The sixth proposal was that the presi-
dent be empowered to operate the rail-
ways in case Of military necessity.
How these recommendations are to be
carried out President Wilson left en-
t.rely in the hands of congress.
JUST before The president went to adj
dress congress il became known that
the strike leaders had positively called
the strike for Labor day unless a IA
vorable settlement was reached before
and that the negotiations between the
managers and men had been broken off
The committee of railway presidents
made a public statement of their posi-
ton, declining to accept President Will
sons plan and giving their reasons. The
president presented all the details of the
two weeks OF negotiation to congress
recounting COW he had laid before both
sides a picture Of the distress into which
q strike would plunge the nation, and
how he had assured the railway man.
ayers tina; The public would see tina;
justice was done them.
They have thought il best" sai'
ne. referring TO the railway managers
that they should be forced to yield, i
they must yield, not by counsel, but D!
the suffering of the country.
While my conferences with them
were IN progress" the president con
tinueG. and when to all outward APP
pearaEce those conferences had come q
a standstiH the representatives of I'll,
brOthsrhOods suddenly acted and Sc
the strike for the 4th of September"
Thus the president summarized hii
efforts and added:
But / could only propose. l coulC
not govern the will of others who tool
an entirely different view of the cir
cumstances of the case, who even re
fused TO admit the circumstances to b.
what they have turned out to be-"
He then followed with his recommend
atoms for legislation. Representative
Of the railway managers and of TIL
brOtherhoods sat in reserved seats il
The galleries and heard the presiden
make his address.
The brotherhood leaders declared afte
their meeting this morning that moth
ing but a satisfactory settlement
could prevent their men walking out
der 70 require no additional action {
make il effective was also said to hav
been taken TO meet any contingency tina
might arise to prevent strike orde
being issued.
The leaders took the position that witt
the strike already ordered they coulI
not be prevented by legal processes from
making it effective while il left then
free TO call il off if a settlement salts
factory to Them was reached.
The developments of the early day ad
vanced the situation to the most serious
phase ii has assumed.
Brotherhood leaders, il was under.
stood today. will fight the compulsory
investigation feature of President Will
sons legislative program but will sup
port his eight-hour proposal.
Every effort will be made, it was said
10 get separate votes on the propositions
in congress and leaders were confident
that could be done. A. B. Garretson
spokesman for the men, expressed him
self as strongly opposed TO the com
pulsory investigation plan. and while he
did not entirely approve of the proposed
eight-hsur bill he said that it would
bring benefits to such numbers of non
union men that the railroads doubtless
would oppose it and he thought the
brotherhoods would be behind it.
THE Canadian compulsory investiga.
ton plan" he said. has been the great
est throttle to labor that ever has been
devised. Invariably. and 1 speak from
experience, I'm dealing with railways
the railroad heads have used this delay
guaranteed them by law to prepare for
a strike.
THE eight-hour day proposal failing
TO carry as il WILL Of course, any refer
ence to wages would not embrace ouI
present demands and not be wholly sat
isfactory to US. 1t would have the eff
feet, however. of bringing the morgan
lied so per cent of railway labor, OF
which the railway heads speak so feel
ingly, under an eight-hour day. 1t would
be a step in the right direction, and
think you would find the railroads OPP
posing IL vigorously"
To have any effect on the present pro-
posed strike the presidents Legislative
program would have to pass both houses
and become a law before next Monday
morning. once the men have left their
trains. compulsory investigation would
not affect them, in the opinion of broth
erhood officials. The officials declined
TO discuss this phase of the situation
further.
atOr Cummins, a Republican member OF
the interstate commerce committee, Rep
resentative Adamson, chairman of the
house interstate commerce committee
and Democratic Leader Kitchin. One bill