Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-09-02
EMPLOYEES
SET DATE FOR STRIKE
NGRESS is NOW PRESIDENT
WILSON'S LAST RESORT TO
AVERT DISASTER.
.FkCTSLAID BEFORE CONGRESS
President Informs Congress of All
Negotiations and Asks Legislation
y He Now Regards Necessary.
Labor Day Set as Strike Day.

Washington.-Presi wilson has +
definitely decided to go before con .
eress in person to recommend legisla- /
ton aimed to avert the threatened ma /
tou-wide railroad strike or TO stop il /
If it comes before congress can act.
He worked until late Monday night
on his message, in which he will tell
members of the senate and house the
negotiations to date and lay before
them a definite legislative program
The president reached this decision
after conferences at the White House
with the committee of eight railroad
. presidents and the four brotherhood
heads on a new proposal for settle
ment OF differences suggested by the
executives, and after prolonged dis
cussion CT the situation at the CO stol
/ with the members of the dem ratio
steering committee of the senate.
d The proposition of the railroad exc
Z cutives was that an investigation or
ran issues be conducted by commits
sion 70 be named by the president, the
I Investigation to last for a period or
/ three or four months, no action to be
| saken by either side in the meantime,
I and at the conclusion of the inquiry
/ The situation to be what it now is, the
employees having the choice of either
/ 'arbitrating or striking.
! When the railroad brotherhood
heads went to the White House Mon
/ ,1ay the president not only laid before
them the plan of the executives, but
; 0ngly urged the withdrawal OF
ntative strike order sent out, sub
iect TO release, calling for a walkout
it.s ne 400 ,000 brotherhood members at
s.leiE6ck a. NJ, LABOR Day, Septem
Pe@rA. the leaders saying only the com
miur4e of $40 which left Washington
Sunds ~ had power to recall the order
4 Cop YES of the strike order were
; brought to the presidents attention
.ftesr they had got into the possession
= tf the railroad executives. 1t hat
II beeh known that members of the com
: nittee of $40 carried home with then
1 tentative order, but no one outside
q die brotherhood councils had suspect
I'D that a date had been set.
In spite of the apparent final fail
Ore of his efforts to bring the tive
| sides together, the president is repre-
Scented as being still hopeful of avert
ing a strike.
The legislative program preparet
J for congress includes the following
| measures:
IAN eight-Lour-day law for railroa
employees, so framed as to give IN
railroads time to prepare for 1t; and
A law patterned after the Canadial
Industrial dispute act, providing 10
' Investigation OF industrial disputes o
{ railroads by a commission, and pre-
n hibiting strikes or lockouts pendln
;, the outcome of the investigation.
= In addition to these measures Their
are Under consideration a resolutio
to increase the revenues OF the raj
II WAYS in case the expenses are Il
creased, and a law creating autnori'
f1r the operation of the railroads III
he DIR the federal government In event
D. al strike.
" 1.-THE strike order Is brief 1t 10 a.
d,essed to all members of the to'
bfotherhoods, is signed by the val
n Gus general chairmen and reads as &c
! lows:
! csirs and Brothers; This is TO a
I wise that the vote of the employees
! train and engine service on the eigf
~ s,o,r.aav and time and one-half owe
j. time proposition was overwhelming
:, In favor of a strike
'u Notwithstanding this, your repI
an sentatives have been unable to ere
a satisfactory settlement and stri
Under the laws of the respective
is panizations becomes effective on Sc