Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-08-16
Deadlock Persists But
brotherhood Men are
Confident
HOLD PARLEY TODAY
Will Be Another Conference With
President at the White House To-
morrow Morning.

Washington, Aug. 16-Presiden
Wilson will receive the 600 distric
brotherhood leaders in the East Room
of the White House tomorrow. Th'
hour for the meeting has not beel
definitely fixed.
AT the conference the President
will appeal directly to the labor
leaders in his efforts to avert thu
threatened railroad strike. He vii
urge upon them the acceptance OF
an eight hour day with pro rata over
time, pending a. more complete study
by a commission of the demands OF
the men for time and half over
time.
The meeting was arranged when 1t
developed that the committee of
brotherhoods, which has been in con-
ference with the President for the
last two days, did not have sufficient
power to accept such proposition.
At present the situation is dead
locked. Arbitration appears at pres
ent to be out of the question. II a
settlement is to be reached without
a strike it will be reached only
through the ability of President Will
son to exact from both sides conces-
sions which neither is disposed at
present to give. The next twenty
four hours will probably decide.
The next move is up to the broth
erhoods. Therefore the delay. In
brief, the situation appears to be this:
President Wilson has put up to both
sides the proposition that the eight
hour work day basis be put into
operation for trial period of six
months; that the brotherhoods aban-
don at this time their demand for
time and a half overtime pay, and
accept instead for the period propos-
ed, pro rata pay for overtime.
Washington, Aug. .l6.-The lead
ers of the four; brotherhoods were in
complete control of the national rail
way strike negotiations last night.
They are sitting tight like clever
poker players. They hold the win
ming hand. All they wait for is to
give president Wilson time to bring
the railway managers around to his
and the unions way Of viewing the
contentious. The union leaders de-
clare they "are. completely satisfied
The railway managers are holding
onto their position with tremendous
tenacity. They seem fearful Of yield
ing, to the Presidents demands. lr
fact, the situation last night was q
deadlock, even if only temporary.
The managers who conferred witt
the President yesterday for two hours
were to see him again early thi:
morning. The union leaders have
been notified to visit the White House
at 3 p. nj, Thursday, "unless call
ed in the meantime. The manager
We're again in secret session at thu
New Willard last night.
the President is said to be stand
ing very firm in his proposition To-
the basic principle of IAN "ight-hoa
day. Labor leaders fatty deny tAa
they have acceded to any arbitration
even on the point of time and a hal
for, overtime. !: ," .,
It was learned from an author
tative source that if the railway rer
resentatives here do not consent
Wilson's requests the: presidents e
the railways themselves may have
come to Washington, for the nation
Executive is said to be determine
to prevent q strike at all costs.
was even said; that if the railwa
presidents refused to accede to h
nediatory overtures, the great fina,
cial magnates, such as Kuhn, Loe
and Co., J. P. Morgan and the N.
tional City Bank, would be presse
to prevent the strike.
The managers, it was stated, To-
the President they would: be willin
to accept or arbitrate the question
sn eight-hour. day, but they desirt
that the details of the operation
the eight-hour day and extra cor