The Washington herald., 1916-08-17

o'clock this afternoon prior to going to
the White House.
Officials Of both sides still keep scru-
pulously inyiolate the silence imposed
upon them by the President, but it was
possible last night to indicate what con-
cessions the workers will be asked to
grant as their share toward averting the
strike.
That concession will be asked there is
no doubt The first and great conces-
sion. it is understood will be that the
railroad employees abandon their obdu-
rate stand against the principle OF arbi-
tration in the matter of time and half
pay for overtime.
The railroad managers have agreed
to the principle of a shorter work
day. They are willing to institute
an eight-hour day, but. in the mean
time, according to the terms of this
concession, a nonpartisan commission
| is to Investigate the practicability OF
the plan and to determine in addition
whether time and a half pay after an
roight- hour day would be a wrongful
/ intiictiOn upon the railroads or bur-
den which they should justly carry.
! The program which the unions must
accept or reject, therefore, is said to
amount to this:
! That they continue work on ar
eight-hour day basis.
That they agree to a Federal in.
vestigation of the problem of hours
! and pay.
/ That If the time and a half overtime
is found by this investigation to be just,
the agreement will be retroactive and
the men will be paid for their overtime
at the rate of time and a half from
the date of the present agreement.
| That if the time and A half is found
not to be practicable, the men agree tc
arbtrate the matter of a just overtime
/ wage.
Thus. in effect, the Presidents position
| is this:
Il have wrestcd great concession from
! the railroads. now what are you going
to do? / have gone as far as I can
| If you refuse to arbitrate the remain
! ing points at issue, you must stand re-
/ sponsble to the country for the con-
| sequences"
| Both sides sweltering in the humidity
/ behind locked and guarded doors, spent
| today feverishly at work compiling their
estimates of the cost to the railroads
Of time and a half overtime.
] Late yesterday c. P. NeIll, p. E. Crow
/ ley and Elisha Lee, representing the rail-
roads. went to the White House and
! left data to prove that an eight-hOur day
| and the time and a half would cost
! the railroad companies $1OO, Geo. 900 year
| The estimate the managers obtained
| from the official reports of the auditors
| of all the railroads for the year 1915.
! The managers had previously made
public this estimate, but their action
yesterday was taken to refute with evil
dence the claim of the railroad brother
hoods, also made previously. that the
wage increase would only cost the rail
roads $2O,OOO,OOO.
| Between these two figures Federal ex
perts have interposed an estimate under
stood last night to be S3o,oOo,O00.
This estimate has been formally plac
ed in the hands of the President by Judge
| William l.. Chambers, of the Fedora
Board Of Mediation. who continues to b
the Presidents chief adviser.
| Going a step beyond their formal pre-
sentation to the President, many of thu
railroad managers agreed last night tina
should the employees agree to a fla
eight-hour day without time and a hal
for overtime, they would still gain $50,
100000 a year in wages.
MiIder Attitude Seen.
It was not possible to find any chair
man among the contigent arriving las
might who would admit that such a set
tlement was possible though there was
noticeable absence of the vindiCtive at
ititude which the brotherhood leaders hav,
displayed here during the past few days
The chairman declared they had n,
intention of receding from the position
laid down by the unions early in the con
Itroversy. but they admitted they wer.
eager to hear the details Of the scheme
which they knew the president would la!
before them this morning.
| They declared they had no idea as t
how long they would stay but they hat
brought luggage sufficient for at leas
four days.
President Wilson suspended his services
as mediator yesterday, only keeping II
touch generally with the situation through
Judge Chambers. He met none of tn.
leaders on either side, not seeing tn,
managers when they left their wage es
innate and data at the White House
The only word from the White Hous
during the entire day was the following
statement authorized by the President:
There has been no break. Both side
still are honestly discussing a way out.
Later in the day Elisha Lee, repre-
senting the Pennsylvania Railroad. said
We have not reached any definite con
clusion. We still are working on tn
problem"