The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-29
WILSON HAS PLAN TO
BREAK DEADLOCK IN
STRIKE SITUA TION
Has DecjSn oo Before Congress in Person and
SptS0SSos Troposed Legislation Which VIII Avert
ssc~sx> Postpone 1t Until Action Can Be
NIaken-Presfdent Is Open in Explaining That
He Wants Aid of Congress in Present Crisis

Washington, August 2S-President
Wilson tonight definitely decided to go
before Congress in person tomorrow
or Wednesday to recommend 1egisIn-
ton aimed to avert the threatened ma
tion-wide railroad strike or to stop
it if it comes before Congress can net.
He worked until late tonight on his
message In which he Will tell members
of the Senate and House the negOtia-
tions to date and lay before them n
definite Legislative programme.
The President reached this decision
after conferences at the White House
with the committee of eight railroad pres
idents and the four brotherhood heads,
on a new proposal for settlement of diff
ferences suggested by the executives, and
after a prolonged discussion of the stu
alton at the capitol with the members CT
the democratic steering committee of the
Senate.
The proposition of the railroad execu-
tives was that an investigation of all
issues be conducted by commission to
be named by the President, the investi-
cation to last for a period of three or
four months. no action to be taken by
either side in the meantime and at the
conclusion of the inquiry the situation TO
be what it now is. the employees having
the choice of either arbitration or strik-
| ing. The brotherhood heads promised a
reply tomorrow morning, and there was
every indication it would be unfavor-
| able.
URGES MODERATION
! When the railroad brotherhood heads
| went to the White House tonight the
President not only laid before them the
| plan of the executives, but strongly urged
| the withdrawal of a tentative strike order
! sent out yesterday, subject to release,
calling for a walkout of the 100000 broth
erhood members at a. m, Labor Day,
| September A. This request was fatty re-
| fused, the leaders saying only the COM
mittee of $40, which left Washington yes
terday, had power to recall the order
COPIES OF STRIKE ONDER
| Copies of the strike order were brought
to the Presidents attention after they
had gotten into the possession of the
railroad executives. 1t had been known
| that the members of the committee of
$40 carried home with them tentative
order, but no one outside the brotherhood
councils had suspected that date had
been set, and the President is said to
have been greatly perturbed by the in
! formation. After the refusal to with
draw the order, he communicated with
| the railroad presidents, who held meet
! ing that lasted until late in the night.
| In spite of the apparent final failure
of his efforts to bring the two sides TO-
gether, the President was represented CO.
night as being still hopeful of averting
| a strike.
| LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME
| The legislative programme prepared for
| Congress includes the following meas
ures:
| An eight-hour day law for railroad en-
| ployes so framed as to give the railroads
| time to prepare for it; and,
| A law patterned after the Canadian IN
dustrial disputes act providing for inves-
| tigation of industrial disputes on rail-
roads by a commission and prohibiting
| strikes or lockouts pending the outcome
| of the investigation.
SOME ARE CONFIDENT
| Although on the surface strike was
nearer tonight than it had ever been,
confidence was expressed in official quar-
| tiers that the steps under contemplation
would have the effect of preventing the
walkout. The President, realizing the
| disaster which would .ome to the coun-
| try if the railroads are tied up, was
said to be determined to prevent strike
at any cost. In his conferences with the
executives he strongly urged that they
change their hitherto unyielding attitude
| and when he saw the employees he de-
clared that all suggestions from the exec
utives should be given most careful con-
sideration.
Final arrangements for the appear
ance of the President before Congress
were not completed tonight, but he
discussed the question fully with the
democratic steering committee of the
Senate and they agreed with him that
he should address joint session.
The time of his appearance depends
largely upon further conferences to-
morrow with the executives and the
employees
At todays conference the railroad
presidents did not formally present
the statement agreed on by them last
Friday night, which amounted to a
| flat refusal of his plan of settlement.
This statement has been signed by all
4 the executives. but it's presentation
was withheld in the interest of peace.
President Wilson was informed gem
orally of its terms, however
AGREEMENT MAY BE REACHED
Throughout the day there appeared
to be some possibility that an agree
ment might be reached on a plan
which would include concession of the
eight-hour day but postponement of
it's effectiveness until the railroads
had an opportunity to prepare for It,.
Hope of persuading the railroad man
ayers to agree to such plan had not
been given up tonight.
4 After their conference with Mr.. Will
son the executives gave out state
ment in which they said they had laid
before the President suggestion IN
the nature of a proposition for prog
ress toward solution Of the ques-
tions at issue"
Although it seems certain that there
will be opposition from republicans in
lions of the President. administration