The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-08-22
PUBLIC OPINION
Must Determine Issue. Says Lee
Railroad Leaders Stlll Hate To
Give Up Right TO Arbltrnte
Differences With Employees
- President Urges
Man 10 Man
Appeal

Washington, August 21-As one
American citizen to another, Presi-
dent Wilson today appealed to each
OF the executives of the country's prln-
cipal railroads on the grounds of pa
triotism to accept his plan for avert
ing the disaster of a nationwide
strike. He emphasized the necessity
for keeping the railroads in service
as a part of the national defense, and
to make possible preparations for
meeting conditions that will exist aft
er the European war.
On leaving the White House, the
railroad presidents, augmented during
the day by arrivals from the West,
held a conference at which sentiment
was said to be against agreeing to the
Presidents proposal in its present
from. Hope was expressed, however,
that some satisfactory counter propo-
sition might be advanced, and 1t was
decided to turn over to a committee
the task of drafting a final reply to
the President. With more than sixty
men, most of them with their own
ideas about what ought to be done,
the executives found 1t difficult tc.
'get down to brass tacks," as one of
them expressed. Tomorrow morning
another meeting will be held and ev-
cry effort will be made to reach a
decision promptly.
Public Opinion Last Judge
The railroad heads still insist that
President Wilson is asking them to
sacrifice the principle of arbitration.
Elisha Lee, chairman of the National
Conference Committee on Railways,
issued a statement tonight, in which
he said
THAT the railroads should grant,
under threat of a national strike, a
sec. 0OO, 900 wage preferment to a
small minority of their employees
without hearing before a public tri
bunal, in inconceivable in a democ-
racy like ours. All questions at issue
wages, hours, cost operating condi-
tions-are submerged by the greater
jGsue-shalL arbitration he ahandon-I
ed in the settlement of Industrial dis
putes?"
The statement suggests, however,
that the railroads stand ready TO take
whatever action the people of the
country desire. 1t concludes:
"The weight of public opinion must
determine this issue. We can not be-
lieve that 1t is the calm judgment Of
the country that We should sacrifice
the principles of arbitration in indus
trial disputes under a threat to tie
up the commerce of the country"
Employees Ready to Strike
While the officials were listening tc
President Wilson, and later confer
ring at their hotel, the general COM
mittee of GAO representatives of the
employees who already have accepted
the Presidents plan, held a perfume
tory meeting and marked time await
ing the decision of the employers.
They said they would wait until Pres
ident Wilson dismissed them, but |
stood ready to call strike should the
negotiations fail. Although a few of
the railroad executives had not ar
rived this afternoon, 1t was decided
that those already In Washington were
representatives and therefore the
President called them to the White
House and earnestly urged them that
his plan of settlement be RATHER.
Messages on the situation continued
to arrive at the White House all day.
Many upheld the Presidents position
aud many other urged him to support
the railroads In their demand for arbi-
tratlOn.
Petitions signed by q, 900 non-union
employees of the Pennsylvania railroad
the strike of the members
of the four great brotherhoods were
taken to the White House during the
day, making total of $4,000 sigma
lures attached to such petitions.
A. b. Garretson, spokesman for the
Brotherhoods, declined tonight to
make any comment on the railroad
statement.