New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-20

che roads to accept his plan, in spite Of
its evident favor toward the unions Il
the fact that to-day he gave the rail
road executives 60 unde stand that J.
the agreement was effected under th'
proposed conditions he would use ms
personal and official influence TO secure
an increase in rates from the Inter
state Commerce Commission.
Roads See No Profit.
To this proposition one Of the rail
road presidents said tonight;
ayes. that would help our case lot
wouldn't il? These Interstate Com
merce commissioners read their morn
ing papers at breakfast, see that s'ate,
ment. lean back in their chairs ana
say. We'll. he thinks he'll get II
through. does he? Maybe he'll have
another think Furthermore, 1t woulo
nreiudice our case from the start, and
anyhow there is no assurance that Mr.
Wilson is going to be in the White
House when this rate plea might come
IN. That is something we have 10
consider, too
The railroad executives had mapped
on. their course and determined 10
follow il through 90 whatever eventu-
alitv might occur. before they went 70
tbe White House this morning. Hale
Holden. president of the Chicago, bur
lington & Quincy. spokesman Tor the
delegation, had prepared long stare
ment containing the railroads case IL
was not an answer TO the PRESIDENT
plan OF settlement, already aeeepIeo
bv the four brotherhoods, whose o4v
delegates are now sitting on the Ilu;
waiting for the President or the rail
sta,.nent WAS a brief for arbitration
Wilson Fails to Waiver.
President Wilson listened to IL at
tentivelv. but he did not waver from ms
own course Already his statement OF
tho case had been waiting for three
DAYS II was handed TO the newspaper
CORRESPONDENTS Immediately after the
meeting. When Mr.. Holden finished
reading the statement for the roads. ne
explained TO the President that com
plete authority to handle the SITUATION
had been vested for all the rallroaos
m the conference committee; that tne
executives could not veto the man
ayers decision; that eacn executnve
present could speak only for his own
properties. .,,,sod
tho President addressed the railroad
heads for nearly half an hour. III was
his final appeal to them :,
"a condition, not a principle, is al
stake" said Mr.. Wilson. Then he an
nounced his intention to summon the
other executives, so that he may nave
in Washington the entire body OF rall'
road heads, and thereby, although eacf
man may speak for his own road ohly
the whole body will be empowered 70
pass upon his plan unquesuonaDly' ~
was also his evident intention to leave
no loophole. He is determined that al
The roads must shoulder the response
hilitv of strike, if they fail to reaef
an amicable settlement
Warns the Railroads.
"If 8 strike comes" said Mr.. Wilson
"the public will know where the re
sponsibility rests. 1t will not be upol
me" u.
The President himself PRACTICAL!
threw arbitration into the discard so IA
as the present controversy rs con
cerned. lie insisted that the railroad
were harping upon an impossible solu
ton of the crisis because the rallwa.
unions had refused absolutely to accep
arbitration of their demands His ar
cuments, however, were unavalllng s.
lar as changing the stand OF the rail-
road executives was concerned Inc;
bade him a pleasant adieu, went bacl
to the New Willard and got busy pre-
pairing their statement for the press.
Presidents Chief Point.
Meanwhile the President issued hi
statement. One Of the chief point
made bv the President was with refer
cnce to the present eight-hour opera
ton on some Of the roads IN the south
eastern part Of the country, where. n
said. the shorter day did not seem Z
entail any serious disadvantages. II
this connection il was explained TO
night on behalf Of the railroads that
while some of the roads in that terri
tory now have the eight-hour DAY, ]
affects through freight traffic only ant
includes less than 80 per cent OF th'
men in that part of the service. Al
the men in the yard service and thos'
running local freights and mine run
are on a ten-hour basis, while on manl
branch lines ten and twelve hour bash
days prevail. A..
These roads are the Seaboard All
Line. Richmond, Fredericksburg 20
tomac. Norfolk Southern, Atlantic Coas
Line. Central of Georgia, Georgli
Southern. Florida East Coast and Queer
and Crescent lines, all roads with
high percentage of perishable traffic
such as fruits and vegetables, whlci
must be moved at a high rate OF spee'
i'm order TO reach markets IN good con
dition, and which for that reason carr
freight rates which no shipper coul'
afford to pay for the movement OF erdi
nary freight.
Other Lines Not Included
On some of the largest and most i'm
portant roads in the Southeast tn
eight-hour basic day is not in effect II
any branch Of the service. Anon;
them are the Norfolk & Western
Chesapeake & Ohio, Virginian, South
ern Railway, Mobile & Ohio, Queen ant
Crescent lines North Cincinnati, New
Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway mt
Alabama Great Southern Railroad), ant
Carolina, Clnchfeld e. Ohio.
These roads handle a much large
percentage of coal and other heavy
traffic than the roads which have The
eieht-hour basic day in through freight
service. and the adoption of this basis
would mean increased cost in every
branch Of freight service for each Of
them.
The Louisville e. Nashville and the
Nashville, Chattanooga & ST. Louis have
a peculiar system under which no over
time is paid if trains make schedule
The adoption Of the eight-hour basic
dsy would necessitate a general re
vision of the basis Of pay on these
roads.
"The situation is not hopeless" saiC
one Of the railroad executives wher
the whole delegation came down th'
White House steps. "but it is mighty