The Benson signal., 1916-08-26
ROADS ASK ARBITRATION
WILSON PLEADS FOR 8-HOUR DAY
WITH 10 HOURS PAY.
Possibility of Government Operating
Railways in Case of a Strike
Being Considered.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, Aug 22.-President
Wilson appealed to the railroad Off
cials Saturday to abandon their insist
ence on arbitration of the dispute
threatening a nationwide strike and
to accept his plan of settlement, al
ready agreed to by the employees, be-
cause, in his opinion, the railroads
are contending for principle which
seemingly is impossible to apply to
the present situation.
In one of the most dramatic scenes
known to the White House in recent
years, the President declared to the
heads of the $5,000,000,000 worth of
IF a strike comes the public will
know where the responsibility rests.
1t will not be upon me-
A few minutes later he issued a
statement saying: "The public has a
right to expect acceptance of the
plan"
Refusing acceptance for the pres
ent, but not giving a final answer,
Hale Holden, president of the Bur-
lington road and spokesman for the
thirty-three railroad officials, urged
the President to uphold the principle
of arbitration and declared his plan
would place in peril all that has
been accomplished in the peaceful ad-
inc fY1o0 of 1oh hxy
methods of arbitration"
At the close of Saturdays confer
ence President Wilson summoned to
Washington additional railroad presi-
dents from the West and the execu-
tives already here told him they would
confer among themselves and return.
In the meantime representatives of
both the roads and employees will re-
main here for informal conferences.
1t is expected a total of 100 execu-
tives of railroads will have arrived
in Washington by today.
While President Wilson was still
addressing the railroad executives,
telling them they faced "a condition,
not a principle" his statement to the
country, reviewing his plan and char
acterizing it as a Thoroughly prac-
ticable and fair program was given
out at the White House.
In the statement he urged the adop-
tion of the eight-hour day because he
believed the concession right" sug-
gested the creation by Congress of
small body of men to Investigate the
results, and urged the abandonment
of the demand for time and half
overtime pay by the men and the
contingent proposals by the roads.
Hale Holden, spokesman for the
railroad presidents, insisted upon ar
bitration in his reply to the Presi-
dent because cit is essentially the
common right of every citizen of what
ever condition in life to be heard"
and because experience "has put the
right to claim arbitration as meth
cd of settling such controversies be-
yond question"
He argued that the eight-hour day
is impracticable in railroading and
said the roads are willing for the IN
terstate Commerce Commission or
any other disinterested body to arbi-
trate the whole question. The demand
for the eight-hour day is in reality, he
declared, only an indirect plea for IAN
enormous increase in wages and
said that Gin this instance for those
demanding a change to refuse to SUBJ
NIT their demands to arbitration is
indefensible."
AS a result of the Saturdays con-
ferences, however, it was said on
good authority that many of the roads
presidents looked upon the possibil-
ity of strike as more remote than
at any time since they came to Wash
ingtOn.
The situation Saturday night was
described by a railroad president as
mot hopeless but grave" Discussion
of counter proposals and compromises
was current, and serious considera-
tion was given to the possibility of
government operation of the roads in
case of strike.