Arizona republican., 1916-08-15

 BASIS IS
 IN SIGHT
Republican 4. p. Leased WIre]

fH. EedSto WHej
 WASHINGTON, Aug. 14.-President Wilson conferred today with both rarties to the threatened country wide railway strike and tonight it appeared that sufficient foundation had been laid to furnish a working basis for settlement of the differ ences of the employees and employers. The president will meet both sides again tomorrow.
 At the conclusion of the days con- ferences, the president issued this statement:
 T have met both sides and have gone over the case with the utmost frankness. I shall not be able to know until tomorrow whether we have found a feasible basis for settlement.
 The foremost questions are what shall be arbitrated. if arbitration is to he resorted to, and what form Of arbitration shall be adopted. Repre- sentatives of the employees maintain that their demand for an eight-hour day and time and a half for over- time is the only concrete proposition under discussion They insisted to the president in their conference to- day that the railroads make some definite counter proposal. If the rail- roads submitted some proposed form of settlement, they said, they would he ready to discuss negotiations fur ther.
 The employees are understood 10 be ready Nto consent to the principle of arbitration if the contingent proposals of the management. which the men say involve rights they have won in thirty years effort are eliminated from consideration, and if arbitration is conducted by board on which all four brotherhoods are represented
 Immediately after learning the em- ployes' proposition, the president summoned the committee of managers and held d long conference with them. They left the White House to confer among themselves throughout the night. if necessary. and the general understanding was that they dis cussed the advisabilitv of withdraw ing their contingency proposals and submitting proposition without strings as demanded by the men.
 While representatives of the en- ployes insisted that they had not yet agreed to arbitrate any feature of their differences there was q growing impression that arbitration, or some form of compromise would be agree1 upon. At no time. it was said did the representatives of the men indi- catei that unless their demands were granted unqualifiedly they would so on strike
 Both sides refused absolutely to dis cuss their meeting with the president or venture any forecast on the prob able outcome of the negotiat tions. but | leaders of the two factions were op- tinlistic tonight that strike would i be averted.
 | The president it was declared, made no compromise propositions to either side. today. He merely listened to the representatives of the employees and then talked with the managers and | suggested that some concrete working basis he agreed upon before proceed ing further. Indicative of his desire to learn what results come from the ! railroad mana gers meeting tonight
 hefore taking any further step. he ar ranged another meeting with them for Q o'clock tomorrow morning. and a | conference with representatives of the employees for three o'clock tomor-
 row afternoon. Tomorrow's cabinet
 meeting has been cancelled so the
 president may devote most of his
 time to the railroad problem. Ha
 cancelled several enga gements today
 that he might have the fullest oppor-
 tunity to talk with the two sides
 A R. Garretson. president of the
 Order of Railway Conductors. and 1 spokesman for the employees repre-
 sentatives, made it clear today that
 under no circumstances will the em-
 ployes agree to arbitration under ths
 Newlands act. The boards of arbi
 tration provided by that act. they
 maintain. are too small The balance
 of power, they contend. is too close
 and as a result the employees have
 suffered. Indications were that tht
 president. recognizing this situation might propose a special board of ar
 hitration if the negotiations reach tn , arbitrating stage, composed of a' many as twelve men, including rep
 resentatives of all the brotherhoods : Reports that the president hat - notified the managers that unles , some agreement could be reachei | with the men he would invoke hi power to influence congress to pas e an eight-hour law were circulated bu | discounted by those in close touc' with the situation.
 q would fight any attempt to pas : l such a mea sure" was the terse re d Nv5r e~t-Is;SVs.vi-TWS