Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-26
A Crisis in the
 Railroad TangIG
REPRESENTATIVES, OF BROTH HOODS HAVE LOST PATIENCE
WILL WAIT NO LONGER
Informed President Wilson That Under No Circumstances Would They Re- main in Washington Longer Than Tonight.

Washington, Aug. 25-A crisis to-
 morrow in the threatened nationwide
 railroad strike appeared unavoidable
 tonight.
 Heads of the four railroad brother
 hoods went to the White House today
 and informed President Wilson that
 under no circumstances would they
 hold their committee of $40 here after
 tomorrow night. The men, they said;
 were demanding that they obtain some
 definite answer from the railroad heads
 on President Wilson's plan, already ac-
 cepted by them, or that they be per
 mitted to go home and prepared for d
 strike. Everything was declared to be
 ln readiness for a waIlout whenever
 the committee of $40 gave the word.
 To Meet Men This Noon.
 The president is understood to have
 given the men no definite promise as ]. to what he would do. He made an appointment with them for tomorrow noon, however, and shortly after they left the White House sent for three of the railroad executives to advise them Of what had happened. The railroad presidents and managers held two conferences during the day and con 1 tinued their sessions until late tonight, working on a communication to the president setting forth their position ' I--''N 1 eight hour day with pay at the rate now given for a ten hour basic day. It was understood that the tentative draft 1 of this communication sets forth that the railroads agree to the eight hour i day principle, but believe that the pay for such a day should be made the subject of arbitration.
 The railroad heads insist, as they have from the beginning of negotia- tiOnS that it is increased pay and not n 6o | really desire. To grant them the l shorter basic day at the present pay, l it is COntended, would mean an addi- tiOnaI annual expenditure of 52,OOO,- l GOO.
 Representatives of the men indi- cated tonight that such a reply would i be unsatisfactory.
 l RaiIroad Heads Would Welcome Strike | It has been well known since the i railroad presidents came here that ! many of them would welcome a strike. Some OE them have pointed out that in 1 their opinion submission in the present ] crisis would weaken discipline on their | lines and that it would only be a, short l time until the tTainmenS demands are 1 followed b ysimilar ones of other em- | p-Oyos. Many of them feel that a ! strike could last only a few days at i the longest, and the more important i systems would have little trouble l handling the mails and milk trains and | supplying the larger cities with food ! stuffs.
 | The railroad executives virtually dis l missed from all consideration today | questions of freight rate increases and | of methods of inSUring settlement of ! future disputes. TIsey CentoTed atten- i tion on the two propositions of the ] eight hour day and the arbitration Of ] wages under it.
 ] Howard EIIiott's Views. 1 Statements were issued by Presi- dent Howard Elliott of the New Haven 1 and K. IT, Aishton of the Chicago and | Northwestern. MT. Elliott said he | hoped a real solution would be found 1 for the situation rather than that it ] should be settled off-hand and solely ! in the interest of the 400 900 who are 1 now pressing their demands" Presi- i dent AiShtOn said that in 1900 the l amount of wages paid train employees ] for each 1 1000 tons of freight moved | one mile was 56.4 cents, while it 1914 l it was 6l cents, an increase of 23 per l cent.
 ] The conference committee of mana ] gers made public several telegrams 1 from commercial organizations and in ! diViduals supporting their lnsistence 1 upon arbitration of labor disputes. Practically an UItimatum.
 l It was determined quartette from 1 the brOtherhOOds that visited the pres 1 ident today to deliver their ultimatum. l On Wednesday evidence of unrest among the committee of $40 became so 1 apparent that their leaders considered | the situation grave and it required l their best efforts to prevent a vote on ! a proposal to withdraw from the nego- ] tiattOns immediately. .
 Some Trains Would Run Anyway. | One of the leaders said tonight that 1 in the event of a strike being called | crews hauling trains with supplies for soldiers on the Mexican border, a linn 1 tied number of passenger and express l trains and, possibly, some milk trains would be permitted to continue work