The Washington herald., 1916-08-23

was discussed. The conference was re-
quested by the committee of railway
executives.
The railway executives will meet
again at 11:3o this morning.
The visit OF a subcommittee Of the
railroad executive committee to the
White House was taken here to be a
signal of concessions of the eight-hour
day by the railroads. When Chairman
Hale Holden left the conference with
President Wilson he refused to state
whether progress" had been made. He
said:
The policy we have decided upon and
must maintain is confidence with the
President We can say nothing about
the negotiations"
1t was learned later that the three
railway executives asked the President
to tell them his concrete plans for re-
compensinE the railroads for their loss
in establishing the eight-hour day. Hth-
erto. 1t was said. this subject had been
discussed only on general lines.
1t was said that the matter had now
reached the point where negotiations be-
tween the railways and the President
could be carried on across the table"
1t was admitted the principle hope now
is to commit the President and the gov
ernment to definite assurances providing
two things:
l. Legislation which will prevent a
recurrence Of a similar crisis before all
the processes of a judicial investigation
have been exhausted.
? A practical guarantee that the rail-
roads will be compensated for the money
loss they claim they will sustain by
granting an eight-hour day.
1t is understood the plan is to ask the
President to urge Congress to create two
commissions-one to investigate future
wage difficulties; the other to make a
special study of the present dispute and
determine the amount of the increased
expense the new arrangement will i'm
pose.
On the report OF the commission such
as the last named, relief would be ex-
pected from the Interstate Commerce
Commission in permanently increased
freight rates
The new report also suggests as an
alternative that the President agree 10
release from an eight-hour agreement If
such is reached, the railroads on which
1t can be shown that the short day ar
rangement is impracticable
To Appoint Delegates.
II the suggestions contained in the ten
tattve plan are approved by the execu-
tives, delegates will be appointed to con.
fer with the President today and report
back In order that the compromise pro-
posal may be formally made
This is the railroads side of the con-
troversy. Persons close to the White
House indicate that the President is not
In frame Of mind to make concessions.
The approval given his proposals by the
Cabinet are said to have strengthened
his determination to remain firm for the
eight-hour day plan without entanglins
Qualifications. The President has re-
cetyed assurances from many quarters
that the public, which he on Monday
referred to as the great American
jury is on his side of the argument
The railroad executives have also en-
deaVored to arouse sympathy from the
public. One result was a flood of tele-
grams from agricultural and commercial
organizations from all parts of the coun-
try. but chiefly from the West The ma
jority Of these messages protested against
the eight-hour day as proposed by the
brotherhoods and urged by President VIII
son.
New Members Added.
The subcommittee which has under
taken to unravel the tangle by which a
disastrous strike can be averted origi-
nslly consisted Of only five members:
Hale Holden, of the Burlington: chair
man; Fairfax Harrison OF the Southern;
r. S. bovett. Of the Union, Pacific; AL
fred Smith. of the New York Central. and
Daniel Willard, of the Baltimore and
Ohio.
Since the arrival of more executives,
w. w Atterbury, of the PENNSYLVANIA
f. P. Ripley, of the Santa Fe, and Fra nix
Trumbull, of the Chesapeake and Ohio,
have been added to the committee.
1t was learned last night that the tenta-
tive report warned the executives that
granting the eight-hour day to only mi
nority of the railroad employees in the
country was almost certain to be cause
of future trouble. II was declared Presi-
dent Wilson's proposal would benefit only
100000 men out of 100000 employed by
the railroads, and that those not included
would be certain to start trouble.