The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-17
viii Call on Them to Submit
Question of Overtime Pay to
Federal Investigation
BOTH SIDES FIGURE
COST OF CHANGE
Railroads Say Hundred Mil
lions Yearly. While Brother
hoods Say Twenty Millions.
Legislative Action Possible

Washington, Aug. 16.--Six hundred
chairmen Of railway employee
unions, representing to the full limit
of authority the railroad workers OF
the United States. arrived In Washing.
ton on special trains at $40 and 6:2k
tonight to participate tomorrow in the
most momentous meeting in all tho
history OF organized labor.
| President Wilson will receive the
| men in the east room of the White
House at o'clock tomorrow after.
noon.
He will lay before them the presi-
| Dental plan for settling their differ.
ences with the railroads and thereby
avoid the paralyzing revolt which still
| threatens the country.
| Upon their approval or declination
| OF this plan rests war or peace.
Officials of both sides still keep
scrupulously invioiate the silences int-
posed upon them by the Prestdent.
! but 1t is possible tonight to INDICATE
what concessions the workers viii be Il
asked TO grant as their share toward
ayerting the strike.
| Must Abandon Obtfurate Stand.
| That concessions will be asked.
there is no doubt The first and great
concession, 1t Is understood tonight,
will be that the railroad employees
abandon their obdurate stand against
the principle of arbitration in the
matter of time-and half pay for over
| time.
| The railroad managers have agreed
to the principle of a shorter work day.
They are willing TO institute an eight-
hour day, but in the meantime. ac-
cording to the terms of this conceS-
sion. a non partisan commission Is to
investigate the practicability OF the
plan and TO determine in addition
whether time-and-a pay after IN
eight-hour day would be wrongful
infection upon the railroads or
4 burden which they should justly
carry.
The program which the unions must
accept or reject, therefore, is said to
amount TO this;
| That they continue work on an
eight-hour n day basis.
That they agree To Federal in
vestigation of the problem OF
hours and pay.
| That II the time and a-half
overtime pay Is found by this
board not to be unjust. the
agreement will be retroactive and
the men will he paid for their
! overtime at the rate OF time and-
a-half from the date Of the pres.
ent agreement That II the time
and-a-half is found not to be
practicable. the men agree to
arbitrate tho question Of a just
! overtime wage.
The Presidents Position.
Thus. in effect, the Presidents posi-
! ton is this:
II have wrested great concession
from the railroads. now what are you
going to do? have gone as far as
] can. II you refuse to arbitrate the
remaining points at issue, you must
stand responsible to the country for
the consequences"
! Both sides, sweltering in the hu-
nudity behind locked and guarded
doors. spent today feverishv at work
compiling their estimates of the cost
to the railroads OF time-and half
overtime pay.
! Late today c. P. Neill, p e Crow
ley and Elisha Lee. representing the
railroads. went to the White House
and left data to prove that an eight
hour day and the time-and half
would cost the railroad companies
500, 00o,0o0 a year.
! This estimate the managers obtain
ed from the Official reports OF tho
auditors of all railroads for the ye9r
1915. ~
The managers had previously made
public this estimate. but their action
today was taken to refute with evil
dence the claims of the railroad
brotherhoods, also made previouslvs
that the wage increase would only
cost the railroads $40. 900. 900.
| Between these two figures Federal
experts have interposed an estimate
understood tonight to be S3o.0o0.000.
This estimate has been formally
placed In the hands of the President
=
Federal Board OF Mediation. who con-
tinues to be the Presidents chief adj
wiser.
Going a step beyond their formal
representations to the President.
many Of the railroad managers agreed
tonight that should the employees
agree to a fat eight-hour day. with
out time and half for overtime they
would still gain 5o.o00.0 900 a year IN
wages.
Eager to Hear Details Of Plan.
II was not possible to and any
chairmen among the contingent ar.
irving tonight who would admit that
such settlement was possible. though
there was q noticeable absence OF the
vindictive attitude. which the brother
hoods leaders have displayed hers
during tho past few days.
I The chairmen declared they had no
intention OF reccding from the poaS
ton laid down by the unions early IN \
the controversy. but they admit111
they were eager TO hear the details
OF the scheme which they knew ~ /
President would lay before them 80
morrow.
They declared they had no idea 49,
| to how long they would stay. but 49,
had brought lugxAsa sufncisnt foFl
least four dAye. :a III
yiose ~ RI = ~ 11l. \