The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-09-01

submit the issue to Congress, should b.:
carefully and deliberately considered
But here you are denied the right foi
of the proposals. You are told that
you must surrender before next Mon
day, or this nation will be plunged
into a calamity of starvation and ruin
prevail. -
| Mr.. Thorn asked what would happen
if the positions of the trainmen and
the executives were reversed and the
officials threatened to tie up the coun-
try.
"Would Congress then wait for one
moment to put the mailed hard hand
of the government on them?'' he ask
ed. is there any reason that what
would be justified in their case is not
, justified in this?''
Shippers for Arbitration.
Elliot H. Goodwin, genera lsecretary
of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, was the first speaker
for the shippers. He said vote tax
en- among more than 700 commercial
organizations showed them almost un-
animously in favor of submitting the
present controversy to the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Henry c. Barlow, traffic manager for
the Chicago Association of Commerce
urged postponement Of the strike tina:
Congress might have time to investi
gate fully.
Luther M. Walter, attorney for the
National Industrial Traffic League, who
said he represented 100000 shippers ant
trade organizations, objected to any
proposal that looked to an increase il
freight rates without a hearing on the
merits of the proposal and how it may
affect the country.
R. S. French of the National Asso
citation of Commission Merchants, sale
he was positive his organization woulC
favor fuller investigation before 1egis
lation affecting it is passed.
Bird NJ Robinson, who said he repre-
sented short line railroads particular,
in the South, protested against an,
legislation which would affect thos,
lines He said he represented nearl,
700 companies, largely financed by 10
cal capital that never paid dividends
and whose train employees are not quail
flied to hold positions on trunk line
railroads.
- Presidents Carretson. Carter an
, Stone, of the brotherhoods, occup1e,
the employees last hour in rebutta
All Of them reiterated that arbitration
had proved failure for the men an
insisted that responsibility for a strike
should one come would be on the raj
roads for their failure to offer a dea
with the employees.
Mr.. Carter presented figures designe
Z to prove that certain roads were bein
operated cheaper under the eight -hou
day than others under 10, and the
turned his attention to assailing arb
tration as having worked out unfai
II ly.
T, Arbitrators From ''Master Glass;
: " Arbitrators,' he said, always al
selected from the master class, an
that is unfair to us. We might as we
- select Mr. Gompers here to act
neutral arbitrator He could give ,
the eight hour day as fairly as a
arbitrator from the other class cou
deny it to u.s.. Glass questions a.
+" not arbitrabIe. The divinity of Chri
has long been mooted question. Su
nose you sought to arbitrate that al
'd named a Jew, or Mohammcdan as a
ie bitrator. That would be analogo
le with the kind of arbitration we ha'
- been experiencing.
n AS an example of his contention, NJ
Is Carter declared that Charles N. Nag
+ former secretary Of commerce and la
!" or, was named an arbitrator in a ra
III road case and that later when t
unions learned that he was trustee
OF an institution holding $12,000,000 wor
e. of stock in lines included III the nes
I'D tiations, the government declined
remove him from the board of ar
i" tration.
"' Mr.. Stone told the committee IL
IT. since wage disputes began, the re
roads had pleaded poverty and had
re clarcd proposed increase would dr.
eH them into bankruptcy, but they
rh always managed to survive.
mo- The man engaged in freight ira
is is practically a slave he declar
all "He cannot take his family out wi
out permission from the callers
lde flee. He cannot go to the groc
my store without notifying the caller.
'st Mr.. Garretson closed for the broti
de- hood with a dramatic appeal.
mt $50 far we have refused nothing
"et he declared, with tears streaming II
not his face. "We have only said tha
not others refuse to do anything, we
H. do nothing
He described all of the contene
ere parties to the hearing as vultures
lat ering about the carcass of the puI
hat ri a n,,hI;o ha said would nav the