New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-19

lerrcu WIFI lilNil iho""tN
tee for several hours, took an ad-
iournment for dinner and went back
TO the discussion at the New Willard
tonight. Persons familiar with the
situation and who even have been
quoting odds this week, as the con-
ferences progressed, refuse to pre-
dict one way or another.
This is the biggest industrial
nroblem that any body Of men ever
were called upon to solve" said Dan
iel Willard. friend of the President
and head of the Baltimore 4 Ohio
Railroad. at certainly is the big
gest have ever met. We don't
know now what we shall do. We ex-
meet 10 see President Wilson again
tomorrow.
"Wiu that meeting be final?" he
was asked.
81 am unable to tell that myself"
he replied.
The next meeting between the Pres
ident and the railway executives VINO
have been called TO Washington over
tbo beads Of the conference commit
toe Of managers undoubtedly viii not
be final.
Replv May Be Delayed.
II is doubtful whether the fresi-
dent will get a definite ans"ea - hat nat
nroposition. Railway men say th"S
thev intend to postpone an aosoiu.e
reply; TO appeal to the fresldeht "
alter his proposal and al least Wy "
get arbitration Of the "hoie So.tsI
versy, or an investigation oil 'he iS0Ss
before he asks the railroads " AN''''
anything. -. quarry one
Of those interested in the controversy
is certain that the acceptance OF the
Presidents settlement plan Dy the
railroad brotherhoods precludes any
chance Of reaching an agreement on
tbe basis Of arbitration. IL IS held 10
NO extremely doubtful II the railway
brotberhoods could be persuaded 70 &C
cent a material modification OF 'he
proposed plan. ,.,,,
That chance was lost, apparently
when the presidents left the White
Uouse. before Mr.. Wilson received the
employees verdict -.
How entirely uncertain any preoie-
ton on the probable action Oh the
railway executives would be, however
i evident from the following summa-
tion Of the situation the railroSuS
face: I'D
A refusal TO come TO terms would
he a defiance not only of the railway
brotherhoods, but of the President ana
the people Of the United states
The President has the whip mana pc
cause his proposal is before the peo-
pie. and it looks attractive ana Iali
70 the layman :.
TIE brotherhoods have accepted II
BY a vote approximately OF 10 i
Railroad Managers Contention
On the other hand, the railroad man
ayers contend that II would be sulci-
dal financially TO accept the proposal
and il might be better TO suuer Vhe
losses entaied by a short Strlhe lhah
the permanent injury that the pro
posed plan and the rejection oil arDi,
tration as basis of settlement "oulu
mean to the railroad and otner lhuuS-
tries.
The Tribune correspondent was in
IOTnGQ lO-H4BHN ~ a
that some of the managers DeleVe
that they could have settled with. the
men for less than the President asks
them 10 grant in his proposal. THESE
individual managers think that set
Element might have been forced
through the brotherhoods for nine
hour day and pro rata pay for over
time. No such plan ever was sug-
gested to the men, but the information
was cleaned through an elaborate sys-
tenn Of espionage maintained by the
. various roads.
AS far as the railroad presidents
and their general managers are con
cerned. the situation tonight is q
deadlock between them and PRESIDENT
Wilson. II is understood, however
that some of the railroad presidents
are wavering just trlhe. There
seems TO be no doubt, though, that
the presidents will make desperate ef-
forts tomorrow TO hiring president
Wilson to favor their plea for arbl-
tration. Whether the alleged waver-
ing ones may be able 10 carry things
ultimately if the President persists in
trying TO effect his basis Of settlement
remains to be seen.
May Urge Directors to Act.
Il was rumored in Washington to-
day that the President had determined
not 70 rest the case with the rail
roads executives now in town in the
event that they refuse TO meet his
proposition. The managers gave the
President to believe that they would
not shoulder the responsibility for &C
cepting the plan he suggested. The
presidents may say they could ae<
only for their individual roads, and
it was in this possible contingency
that it was reported the President
might eventually call upon boards of
directors 10 help him swing recalci-
trant executives and general managers.
In the other camp-that of the
brotherhood chiefs and Gao adjust
ment chairmen-e everything Is calm
and serene.
1--WE are just sitting on the lid
was the way Austin b. GarretSon, the
union spokesman, expressed it.
Ii was accepted without question that
the brotherhood delegates voted in
favor Of the Presidents settlement
plan, but neither the brotherhoods nor
the President announced that fact.
The men were in session from o'clock
this morning until 1880. They had
bsllotted by that time, but inquirers
were told that the ballots would not
be counted until 2:30. The delegates
convened AZ that hour, but soon after
Mr.. Garretson and his associate chiefs
slipped out the back door Of the Bijou
Theatre and hurried TO the White
House 10 give the President their de-
cision.
Meeting Not Harmonious.