The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-08-31
BUSINESSMEN TRY
TO AVERT STRIKE
Ask Congress to Direct U. S
Inquiry Into R. R. Wages
FOR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT
Members Of United States Chamber Of
Commerce Vote Overwhelmingly In
Favor Of Letting Interstate Commerce
Commission Adjust Controversy.

Commission Adjust Controversy.
Washington.-In order to ascertain
the position of the business men Of
the nation on the controversy between
the railroads Of the country and the
unions of train service employees. which
was precipitated by the demand Of the
latter for an increase In wages that
would amount to S1OO,0O0.0OO a year.
the United States Chamber Of Com
merce recently submitted the mat
ter to a vote Of all its members. They
were asked to express their opinion as
to whether the dispute should be al
lowed to take its course with the pos
sibillty Of a great strike that would
tie up all the transportation lines
throughout the country and paralyze
all business, or whether they would
favor the adoption to joint resolu-
ton by the two branches Of congress
directing the Interstate Commerce
Commission to investigate and pass
upon the matter.
The vote received was a very large
one and represented business organ
izations In every part Of the coun-
try. The result was overwhelmingly
In favor Of placing the matter in the
hands Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, 9S4A votes being cast In
favor Of this course and only 2SA
against It. The result showed clearly
that the business interests Of the
country are unalterably against per-
mitting the transportation lines to be
tied up by a national railroad strike
that would paralyze the commerce Of
the country and in1ict enormous losses
on all classes Of citizens.
Chairman Wheeler Of the Commit
tee in charge of the matter for
the Chamber Of Commerce appear
ed before the representatives Of the
railroads and their employees at their
conference in New York in June. He
announced the result Of the Com
mittee's inquiry among the business
men Of the country and urged both
parties to the dispute to get together
and adopt the course suggested. AS j
result the committee Of managers rep
resenting the railroads submitted a
proposal that the whole subject be
placed before the Interstate Commerce
Commission as requested by the repre-
sentatives Of the business interests.
As an alternative they offered to sub
NIT the demands to arbitration under
the Federal law. Both offers were
refused by the union leaders, who an
nounced that they would 60 back to
their unions and get authority to de-
clare q strike. This they have since
been doing.
Meanwhile q resolution has been in
troduced In Congress directing the In
terstate Commerce Commission to
make an investigation Of railroad
wages. This resolution Is now await
ing action. 1t is believed here that If
nothing further IS done by Congress or
by the parties to the wage dispute to
bring about a peaceful settlement the
business interests Of the country,
through the United States Chamber
of Commerce, or some other organiza-
ton, will appeal to the Government
to take some direct and decisive action
to prevent the destruction Of national
prosperity by strike on all the rail
road lines.