The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-08-21

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within a week after general trans
portation tie up.
ANY computation Of figures, how
ever conservative. would uc so
enormous that the average citizen
could not comprehend H." laid G G.
White, acting chief of the Office Of
markets of the agricultural depart
mept today.
A strike within the next few
weeks, even II il lasts less than
week. according 10 White, would
work almost immeasurabie havoc 10
the peach and apple growers Of ,he
northwest This crop n ,ust begin
ming 10 move. AS it is pow, with
conditions normal, there e. a freight
| car shortage that Is annoying fruit
growers and railroad men, Toma
| toes. watermelons and Cunteloupcs
by the millions would rot in in the
! fields or at terminals, should crop
movements stop. Very few cities,
according 10 Chief White, have SUN.
cient commodities and deicacies Of
| this kind 10 last more than a few
weeks at most. Pittsburgh. he said,
| is a typical case. The territory
within 100 miles OF the Smoky City
does not produce per cent OF the
amount used there. Within two or
three days such commodities would
be used up. II would be out of the
question, White believes, TO relieve
the situation with horse drawn or
motor propelled vehicles.
Hundreds OF cities" raid White,
would be reduced &c a bread AMI
meat diet And this diet could not
last long in some localities"
White declared industrial Plants
in every section OF the country
would be forced to close COVE
through absence OF raw materials.
Millions of workers in such plants
would be forced out of work. With
salaries thus cut off, they would be
unable TO purchase nec,ssaries of
life even We're they 10 be had
Movement OF grain crops, which
tegin- in the Texas panhandle early
in June and continues through Sep
TENDER and October. until the mon
stor yields Of northwest fields are
| IN elevators or az the mills, obvious
ly would cease" said White AT this
time some J0.000.000 bushels of
wheat have just started moving frcm
| the Pacific northv est oregon, Ida
no and Washington--to lacihc Ter.
minals for shipment via the canal
and the Horn 10 Europe. il Is easy
to see what would happen 10 these
crops were the railroads to stop
operating
"Of course y.ain now stored IN
elevators would not De lost, but
without the railrcads these grains
could not be moved 10 IT. mills, and
elevator storage for crops already
harvested or about 10 he harvested
would he out of the qucstion Com
nlcte loss of these millions Of bush
els OF grain therefore would threat
en-"
Uncle SAM is getting ready fnan-
cially 10 move The naticn's crop
Arrival OF the western railroad
presidents and receipt OF hundreds
OF kilograms from commercial and
industrial concerns all over the
country were the features OF the
first day Of the second week of the
presidents Intervention between
the warning railroads and railroad
brotherhoods The presidents came
at President Wilson's invitation and
the kilograms in part AZ least-at
the invitation OF tho railroads
Railroad executive here made no
secret Of the fact that they were lin
Ing up all possible business support
for their arbitration contention
The president made his answer
known in reply to one Of these tele-
grsms--that from George Pope
president of the National Associa
ton OF Managers. Pope declared g.,
700 manufacturing organizations EN-
ployins 100000 persons are utterly
dependent on uninterrupted railroad
service. He urged the president 10
prevent the threatened stoppage OF
railroad service and az the same
time to maintain the principle OF
arbitration.
Existing means have failed the
president replied, and declared he IL
moving TO strengthen the principle
OF arbitration so that such a situa-
ton can not arise again Regard.
ing the eight.hour day he said in
his telegram 10 Pope, the whole
economic movement OF tho time
seems TO point 20 It.
The opinion in Washington today
Is that demands on the president by
the railroad heads for arbitration OF
the eighthour day question, there
| fore, will not move him.
The men apparently a'e satisfied
10 have won the Presidents support
OF the eight-hour DAY. on other
points they may be expected 10 yield
| should deadlock he reached en- the
present negotiations and further e.
| forts he necessary.
While there Is nothing on Ne sur.
| face 10 indicate the managers tr
executives will do other than stand
pat for Urbitrs ion there are deep
seated rumbllDas around Their head.