Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-11-15
Railroads Determined to F'ightt the Law to End in
 the Courts.
RROTHERHOODS PIN
 FAITH TO WILSON
Warren S. Stone Declares Railroad Managers Seek to Abolish Old Sche- dnl'> Of Pay. and tO This the
 Men Will N0t Agree.

New York, Nov. 11.--The interrupt ed conference between representatives of the railroads of the nation and their 100000 brotherhood employees, looking toward the adjustment of their newly formulated differences on the inter- prctation of the Adamson cight-hour law, was not resumed here today
 Instead of meeting the railroad man agerS announced their purpose to fight the law to the end in the courts, while the brotherhood chiefs, who remained in the city, left for their homes, pro- tossing to believe that they may safe " rest their case with President Will son.
 Both sides admit that they could not foretell the probable outcome of the controversy The railroad managers are certain they can establish the un- constitutionaIity of the Adamson law, while the brotherhood leaders are equally sure that the law will be up- held by the courts and enforced in let ter and spirit. The attitude of the railroads was summarized in state ment by Elisha Lee, al the close of an all-day conference of the railroad presidents. The statement said:
 Presidents Statement
 We are all agreed to fight to the end The means to be employed were fully discussed and the concensus of opinion was that it was necessary to flle suit to question the constitution- ality of the Adamson law~in every af-. eral district court in which the af- fected railroads operate"
 Warren s. Stone, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the situation for the brotherhoods, just before boarding a train for Cleveland. He said:
 "Ihe situation is closed so far as we are concerned. We are not at all alarmed. We know what President Wilson said he intended we should have. We know the explanation he made to our 600 chairmen, in the white house, and we feel confident that if the present law does not give us the eight hour day, the president will give us a law that will. We cannot under stand the attitude of the railroad man. agers. They did not file their first suit until after the election. Personal ly, believe they are either whistling to keep up their courage, or are trying CO scare tHe puDIIc.
 Stone Talks Freely.
 MT. Stone disclosed the proceed ing at yesterdays secret conference, and the plan of action he said the railroads outlined at the conference.
 We asked for the conference" he said. "to reach a working agreement on the operation of the new law. They told us they did not interpret the law as meaning that the old schedules, for rate of pay based on the length of run, were to be con sldered. They said the schedules were to be wiped out, and expected to reach tentative agreement on this point.
 "We told them that it was impossi- ole, in view of the fact that our un- 1erstanding of the law provided for retention of the existing schedules. The only difference, we contended, was hat the law specifically calls for the substitution of the word eight for he word ten wherever it appears.
 We refused further to discuss this question, when they informed us that he suits they had filed would be al- owed to stand during any negotia- ions we might enter into They ex- oetced us, in other words, to argue lbout something which they plan to 'esist legally. We refused their propo- 'ition to join in an appeal to the at- orney general for his approval of olan to defer the operation of the law, n order that decisions of the suits night be obtained before the law went nto effect
 "As we understand it, they plan to rave each of the 175 railroad systems ile suit in each federal district thru which their lines operate. They were urprised that we would not defend he suits, although the chairmen se- acted by the brotherhood in each state ,ill be named as defendant We told he railroad managers the suits were
 government matter, and as such yould be defended probably by the overnment. We were informed the uits would all be filed in ten days"