The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-16
RAILROAD PROBLEM
REMAINS UNSOLVED.
BUT THERE is HOPE
CONTINUED from Page One,

failure of efforts to bring about an
agreement on any form of arbitrat ton.
Suggestion of investigation by a COM
| mission then was brought forward and
It's reception aroused new hope that a
satisfactory solution might be found.
President Wilson devoted most of
his day of conferences with the mana
gers and the employees, seeing both
sides separately as on Monday, and to
meeting with Judge William L..
Chambers of the federal board of medi-
alton and Cancellation.
Managers for the railroads continued
meeting at their hotel for discussion
of the situation. Representatives of the
employees, however, held no conferences,
save for informal conversations in the
lobby of their hotel.
BOTH SIDES RETICENT
Both sides continued reticent regard
| ing the discussions. The railroad man
ayers decline absolutely to talk of the
negotiations and about all the employees
officials will say is that there still is
hope.
The lamp of hope will continue to
burn until some one kicks it over" A.
B. Garretson. Spokesman for the en-
ployes. said smilingE,. as he left the
White House. Nothing has been done
and nothing undonJ We will see the
President again whenever he desires
to see us.
1T is now up to the railroads The
situation has reached that point where
| it Is hanging in a balance, and if the
railroads will do their part there is no
reason why we should not be brought
together. The situation may best be
summed up by saying, let us continue
praying"
Mr.. Garretson declined to discuss the
| justment.
EIGHT-HOUR PRINCIPLE
| Most of the discussion at the con-
ferences today revolved about the
principle of the eight-hour day. The
managers asserted that putting the
eight-hour day into effect would cost
them s1OO,OOo,OOO year, but the repre-
sentatives of the employees reduced this
estimate to $200Oo,OOo.
|
for the opposition of the railroads to the
eight-hour day. asking whether the man.
| ayers did not believe 1t inevitable at
sometime. The managers were firm, how
ever, in their opposition unless other col
lateral issues were taken up.
Representatives of both sides were told
| by the President that he would continue
| to do his utmost to discover a basis
| of settlement and that it was their duty
| CO-OD
minimizing the difficulties in the way of
a solution, he sought to impress on them
| that a break could be avoided only by
mutual concessions.
| When men close to the managers sug-
gested that a way out might be found
! by the railroads accepting the principle
| of the eight-hour day, and then having
an investigation by an impartial body
of collateral questions, representatives
of the employees said they had heard
of the plan before. but that they would
| not commit themselves on it unless it
was put in definite form.
ALL-DAY CONFERENCE
! In spite Of the long series or confer
ences yesterday discussion of the situa-
! ton began at the White House at o'clock
this morning and lasted almost continu-
ously until 5 o'clock this afternoon. The
managers saw the President first and
at 3 o'clock they were followed by the
employees
Both the managers and the employees
| were tagged out by the long conferences.
but said they would remain at the Presl-
dents call as long as there was any pos
sibility of a settlement.
w. s. Carter of the Brotherhood Of
Railroad Fire&nen and Enginemen. and
| one of the subcommittee that has been
comforting with President Wilson, left
for New York late tonight to lay the
situation before the committee Of 640 1t
was said that despite the request that
the full committee come to Washington
| some leaders believed Carter's conferences
in New York tomorrow night make 1t
unnecessary for the other committeeman