The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-08-31
SURE WAY TO
DELAY STRIKE
Pass s-Hour Law. Employees
Tell the Senatorial
Committee
ASK HUMANE RIGHTS
BV J. y, YODER

WARRINGTON, Aug. 3i.--a
legislative settlement, even tho
II does not include all demands
made by the big four railroad
brotherhoods. Will be aeeepta.
Bile to the 100000 employees,
who have all plans set to strike
Monday.
Such settlement. A. D. Gar
retson. chief OF the conductors,
told the senate Interstate com
meree committee today. must
Include an elght.hour day law.
Garretson was today first speak
err at the hearing To consider testi
mony from the brotherhood chiefs
the railway presidents and the ship
pers. before executive action Is
taken.
INSERT YODER command u
W. G. Lee trainmon leader. told
the committee the brotherhood
chiefs could flash the message
Satisfactory settlement" and halt
the strike, provided the eighthour
day bin Is passed by Saturday mid
night The men. he said. are will
ing to submit to the collateral In
vestigation OF wRgca and the like
involved In the measure.
AS for tho question OF author.
lty." said Garretson. Il could call
off the strike. But that would be
only thru satisfactory settlement.
Just as have mentioned. For tina,
matter. care not thru what agency
that satisfactory settlement may
come"
Against Compulsory Arbitration
Senator Ncwlands opened the
committee hearing by outlining the
six measures desired by President
Wilson. He said no legislation pr
posed or to be proposed could In
volve compulsory arbitration"
Garretson served notice that the
brotherhoods' opposition to legisla.
tion like the Canadian disputes act
Is answering.
The committee room was crowd
cd. Every seat was occupied and
the spectators overfiowed into the
halls
Samuel Gompers arrived with
the brotherhood executives At
times during Garretson's talk. Com
pers nodded his head vigorously in
approval OF the points made by the
speaker.
Many railway heads were pres
emit
Garre,son told OF the fight the
brotherhoods have had since they
organized 10 get better working
conditions. lie said before the or
CARNATIONS were protected Il was
a common thing for men 10 be on
duty. with human lives In their
charge. IL hours on a stretch.
And always their monthly wage
was the same. Can there he bet
ter argument for time and a haif
for overtime work." he demanded.
He said: The men demand the
eight-hour day-they do not re.
guest it--as human right 10 be
allowed every man.
I'VE are demanding some OF the
pleasures the ordinary man enjoys.
We are mere travellers over the
face OF the earth. Only thru the
eight.hour day can We have a part
IL the right and pleasures OF life en-
joyed by the average man. ! won
der how many OF you gentlemen
realize what a boon II Is that your
lives in your homes are a sealed
book when you want II 10 be so.
II Is not so with the railroad man.
We must always be ready for call.
Even when off duty. our employers
must know where we are"
The railroads Garretson said.
have made only one definite set
Element proposal--to shift the
whole question to the interstate
commerce commission or TO submit
TO arbitration He said the broth.
erhoods do not oppose the principle
OF arbitration. but do oppose IL un-
der its application in recent cases
where he held. the roads have
done their own interpreting OF
awards.
"Our men are human" he con.
tinued. They are men who are
hourly face 10 face with death.