New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-15
will File More Suits
Attacking AdamSon
Laws Validity
UNIONS MAY ACT
BEFORE JANUARY
pefuse TO Join in Plea for
Extension - Wilson
Faces Problem

,,,, Of the threat Of the four
=. ,.-viee hrotherhoods TO call a
'.;.,.ride strike Of 100000 con-
-. engineers, fremen and train
. the Adamson law is not OBJ
..-,s bv The railroads, beginning Jan
the roads have decided to fight
,.v with every legal resource at
- ,ommard. The conference com
%. n managers, representing All
.. Ss systems in the country mas
.,,i,,ilv agreed not only 20 continue
,,-,.snt Injunction suits, but TO in
.s,g,s sufficient others 20 relieve all
=, roads involved from the penalty
,lsase Of the law.
m, situation is regarded as so serl-
,,. that the presidents Of the four
l,o,berhoods probably will seek con-
,,,.nee with President Wilson next
week 70 discuss their prospects.
Warren S. stone, head Of tho
p,o.berbood Of Locomotive Engineers
=. orlv one Of the big Four" who re-
r,inss here on Monday when the rail-
mad managers refused 10 drop their
v,liditv suits. left town last night
ysi,ber he nor the managers then eX-
p.c,ed another joint meeting OF the two
rroups in the near future.
strike May Come Quickly
The possibility has been suggested
hat the present plan of the railroads
IA lie IN the Adamson law in litigation
viii nut the brotherhoods in the posi-
INN this time of treating with the Fed
,,l courts instead of the President and
Congress Il they execute their strike
n-e,t One OF the brotherhood execu-
svs,. George II. Sines. Of the trainmen'
.ss Yesterday. however, that the four
train service organizations might ma
!. .neeessary TO exercise their power be-
fore January / if the roads take any
immediate steps toward abrogating the
,ressnt schedule agreements with their
employees.
The attitude Of the brotherhoods is
This: They do not regard il as their
provires 10 defend any Of the injunc-
ton suits started by the railroads
lhe suits, they say, are against tho
government. not against the brother
hoods. Therefore, the latter have
simply designated a chairman in eacn
state 10 cooperate with the Federal
district attorneys. And this being the
case, they argue, if the roads fail TO
put the eight-hour standard of pay into
eject on January the brotherhoods
will be absolutely free 70 carry ou'
their strike vote.
Put Burden on President
Il is the present intention of the
bro,herhoods TO cast the burden OF
enforcing the Adamson law upon the
President
"The situation" said Mr Stone last
night, "is closed as far as the brother
hoods are concerned. We know what
the Pres dent intended we should have
We know the explanation he made TO
tic Gao chsirmen at the White House.
We feel confident that II the present
law does not give US an eighthour
basic dag the President will give us
law that will. l believe the managers
are either whistling TO keep up their
courage or trying 20 scare the public
into sympathizing with them.
"We asked for conference 10 reach
working agreement or the operation
o. the ncw law. They told us they
cid no, interpret IT as meaning that
the old schedules (milesge and hourly
basis Of pay) should be maintained.
They claimed that all the old schedules
should be thrown out. We hold that
all the schedules are TO be retained,
he only difference being the subs'itu-
hon Of eight hours for ten hours
We refused 20 discuss our interpreta-
ten o. this feature Of the law.
Then they proposed that we JOIN
WITH them in an appeal to the Attor-
nsy General for thirty-day extension
o. time before the law became ehec-
tive in which 10 try 10 reach tenta-
l,e agreement We refused.
As we understand II, II IS their
plan 20 have each Of the l75 railroad
systems hle suit in each Federal DIS
,riet through which their lines run
In ,ha, case they will be forced 10
hlt 5000 suits, for each road covers
IRON five ~ eiOht states