New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-21

ness for time, but IL would cause very
serious Inconvenience. ] have no rear
OF a strike when il comes. woulo
welcome IL"
Questions at Issue.
F. ID. Underwood, president OF the
Erie. a man wh~ has railroaded up INC
ladder from trainman TO his present
position, said tonight:
"Whether orderly processes or set
Ting wage controversies shah oe
Abandoned and the country forced to
great increases whenever the Tour
Sighiy organized classes Of train SER
vice EMPLOYEES demand them; whether
the American people are wiling 10
have their right to transact business
and get their food supplies lett 10 the
mercies Of the four men leading these
organizations Of train service en-
ployes-these are the real Suesuons
now at issue.
zone of the leaders Of the French
Revolution said that his reason Tor YAK.
ing mart in the revolution was that
every time he looked at the King he
thought. There is a man who can cut
off nv head What will the American
neonle think OF four men who assert
ihe right TO cut off their bread?"
Foresec u. =. Operation.
In spite Of the denial of Secretary
Tumulty that the President had IN
contemplation any plan TO have the
government take over the roads and
operate them under his settlement
pian Until the roads capitulate and
accent the terms of his proposed
agreement, there seems to be little
doubt among the railroad executives
now here that there is such plan on
foot. IL has cropped up repeatedly IN
various forms since the President
negotiations were begun. The only
question in the minds of those most
interested is whether the move would
be made through Congress or through
the United States Supreme Court.
The plan TO which Mr.. Tumulty took
exception is this: Railroad presidents
heard tonight, from sources when
they were inclined TO credit, that the
President. a few days before he called
the executives into conference, had
asked Attorney General Thomas W.
Gregory to draw a bill which, under
the welfare clause of the Constitu-
ton. Article l, Section 8, Paragraph
/. would empower the President by
act of Congress TO take over the oper-
alton of the roads temporarily. Ac-
cording to the story circulated IN
Washington. the idea would be TO put
the eight-hour day and pro rata over
time into effect Immediately. so that
the men would return to work at once.
Then the government would run the
roads until the arrangements aceeded
to the proposed terms.
Damned Lie" Says Tumulty.
That's a damned lie" said Secre-
tary Tumulty tonight before The
Tribune correspondent had finished
outlining his understanding OF the al
legged proposal; "and the man who ut
tered it knows it's damned lie and
is unpatriotic"
well" insisted his questioner, the
railroad m8agers have heard 1t and
are thinking about it."
Then they must DC fools, too"
A more even-tempered denial Of the
story came from officials of the De-
partnent of Justice. On the other
hand, it was stated with seeming au-
thenticity that such bill had been
drawn up and was TO have been intro
duced in Congress last Friday If the
break came then. II was said to have
been postponed because the President
believed he could still bring the rail-
roads TO terms. And in the same con-
nection II was recalled that when the
President had his first meeting with