The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-08-29
TRAINS MAY Be RUN
BY ARMY IN EVENT
OF BIG STRIKE
Senator NeWlands Preparing Bill
to Meet Emergency
PRESIDENT BEFORE CONGRESS
Was to Address Joint Assembly on
Railroad Situation at 2.30 This
Afternoon.

Washington, Aug. 29.-Operation Of
the country's railroads under military
rule is one of the possibilities in the
event of the strike which the Brother
hood of Railway trainmen threatens
to call on Labor day. Senator New
lands is preparing a bill with such
feature embodied and which may be
presented to Congress should all 9th
er attempts to prevent tie-up of the
transportation lines fail.
President Wilson was to address the
joint assembly at 2.30 this afternoon.
Washington, Aug. 29.-President
Wilson last night definitely decided to
90 before Congress in person today
or tomorrow to recommend legislation
aimed to avert the threatened nation
wide railroad strike or to stop it II it
comes before Congress can act. He
worked until late last night on his
message in which he will tell mem
bers of the Senate and House the
negotiations to date and lay before
them definite legislative program.
The president reached this decision
after conferences at the White House
with the committee of eight railroad
presidents and the four brotherhood
heads on a new proposal for settle
ment of differences, suggested by the
executives, and after a prolonged dis
cussion of the situation at the capitol
with the members of the democratic
steering committee of the Senate.
When the railroad brotherhood
| heads went to the White House last
night, the president not only laid be
| fore them the plan of the executives
but strongly urged the withdrawal OF
a tentative strike order sent out Sun
day, subject to release, calling for q
walkout Of the 100000 brotherhood
members at a. m. Labor day, Sep
tember 4. This request was fatty re
fused. the leaders saying only. the
committee OF $40, which left Washinl
ton Sunday, had power to recall the
order.
Copies of the strike order were
brought to the presidents attention
after they had gotten into the posses
sion of the railroad executives. 1t haC
been known that the members OF tn,
committee of $40 carried home Will
them tentative order, but no on,
outside the brotherhood councils haC
| suspected date had been set. and tn,
president is said to have been great,
peIturbed by the information. Afte
the refusal to withdraw the order III
communicated with the railroad pres
dents, who held meeting that laste,
until late in the night.
In spite OF the apparent final failur
OF his efforts to bring the two sides tC
gether, the president was represente
last night as being still hopeful @
averting a strike.
, The legislative program prepare
, for Congress includes the followin
) | measures:
An eight.hour day law for rairoa
employees so framed as to give the ra
roads time to prepare for 1t: and
a law patterened after the Canada
I Industrial disputes act providing fC
investigation of industrial disputes o
;. railroads by commission and prohi
, iting strikes or lockouts pending III
|. outcome OF the investigation.
o In addition to these measures thel
q are under consideration resolutic
!. to increase the revenues of the ra
A roads in case the expenses are 1
4 creased and law creating authori
for the operation of the railroads Il
;. der the federal government in eve
, OF strike. The plan last night W,
q to have the first two measures intr
9 duced as amendments to the bi
y which has already passed the Hous
: increasing the interstate CONNER
n commission from seven to nine me,
20 bers.