Evening star., 1916-09-03
Send 900 Code Messages.


Three hours after the Senate had pass
ed, without amendment. the Adamson
ght-hour-day bill. passed by the House
Friday, the heads Of the four great
railroad employees brotherhoods tele-
graphed 600-odd code messages to their
general chairmen in all parts o. the
country. canceling the strike order is
sued a week ago to take effect tomorrow
morning at Z o'clock.
These code messages released chain
system of messages to be transmitteo
to every one of the 35O.000 brotherhood
members concerned in the threatened
strike.
The messages sent out last night do
not conform with those handed the $40
committeeman when they left here last
Sunday. 1t was explained that some OF
the $40 chairmen lost their code mes
sages, which were in sealed white enve-
lopes, on their way home from Wash
ington, and upon being advised OF tnis
fact the brotherhood heads here
changed the entire list. The new set of
code was sent out during the week by
mail, which explains the great output
of envelopes which have left the broth
erhood headquarters in the last Few
DAYS and which caused much specula-
ton.
Announces, Strike Called Of.
After the message had been sent, A.
B. Garretson. president of the Order
of Railway Conductors. and spokesman
for the employees, came downstairs
from the brotherhood headquarters in
the National Hotel and announced that
the strike had been officially called
off.
"The committee has just decided to
call off the strike" he said, "and mes
sages to our general chairmen to this
effect soon will be on their way"
A few moments later w. q. Lee head
of the trainmen. appeared and gave his
view of the situation.
'tOf course, l am pleased that we have
avoided a strike" he said. I'VE did not
want a strike any more than any one
else in this country, but we had come to
a point where If a strike became neces-
sary to win our demands we were will
ing to go into one. / feel confident. too,
that we would have emerged victorious
if a strike had been necessary.
To Help Obtain New Rates.
That situation, however. now is
past I do not know what the. future
may bring as a result Of the eight
hour day legislation. 1t is probable.
of course, that the railroads will ask
IOT lHCTcdScu AISi6hl AdlSS. IL lHcy
can show that they are deserving of
them the ibrotherhoods will help obtain
them But unless they can show good
cause for advances of course we will
not go to their assistance.
THE bill as enacted today does not
contain all that we should have liked
to have We were willing, however,
to make sacrifices and we made them
We are willing to abide by the legis-
lation as passed by Congress"
Represent Great Number.
Mr.. Lees statement is of particular
value on account of the fact that he
much larger number of
The employees than any Of the four /,
other brotherhood chiefs. In taking the |
strike vote, 12s,S12 members of his |
voted to strike and 1850 |
against 1t. making a total of 133.162 |
,ut of the $4,000 employees concerned. |
Besides this, Mr.. Lee in his brother |
hood has $4,000 men in yard service. |
These are on ten-hour contract basis, so |
nat the establishment of an eight hour |
Law with pro rata overtime gives them |
, fat 20 per cent increase in salary.
w. S. Carter and W. S. Stone. heads |
If the fremen and engineers, respec-
lively, gave out no statements further |
than to say than they were pleased |
with the outcome of the negotiations.
Future plans of the four brotherhood