Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-24
.E|CHT.H0UR DAY
POINT MUST Be
GIVEN TO MEN
Railroad Executives Seem Salts
fled That This Must Be
H.. Conceded.
MEN CLAIM OFFICIALS
ARE PLAYING FOR DELAY
Wilson Suggests Increased Freight
Rates to Aid Payment of In
crease in Wages.

Washington, Aug. 23.-In another
effort to aid the presidents Of the
countrys railroads to find some way
in which to accept an eight-hour day
for their trainmen and avert the
threatened strike, President Wilson
tonight conferred for an hour and a
half with presidents Hale Holden Of
the Burlington, Daniel Willard OF the
Baltimore and Ohio, and r. S. Lovett
of the Union Pacific.
Neither White House officials nor
the president would discuss the con-
ference. It was said, on authority,
however, that the three executives
went to the White House to receive
an answer to the suggestion they
made to Mr.. Wilson last night that he
give them more specific information
as to how the railroad may get the
additional revenue necessary to take
care of the greater pay rolls that will
come with the eight-hour day.
Earlier in the day President Wilson
discussed the railroad situation at
length with Senator Newlands and
Representative Adamson, chairman of
the two committees of congress in
charge of legislation affecting inter
! state commerce. Their visit was in
consequence of the visit of the rail.
road men last night. The two chair.
men are said to have agreed that the
presidents position in the present sit
uation was right and the two men
have said that every effort could be
expected in congress to put through
! legislation which might solve the
present difficulty and provide for the
! future.
Suggests Increased Freight Rates.
| One of the means for recouping sug.
gested by the president to the rail
roads, in his public outline of his posi-
tion, was through an increase in
freight rates. 1t was pointed out to.
night that the president cannot direct
ly ask the Interstate Commerce com.
mission to grant increases to the rail
= roads. Congress might pass resoll'
tion directing the commission, in view
of what it considers an unprecedent.
ed situation, to grant higher rates.
Congress might also pass a resolu'
tion directing the commission to in
vestigate all matters involved in the
present controversy, and the whole
subject of the relations of the rail
roads and their employees. One result
expected from today's conference is
an early effort to pass the bill intro
duced several months ago to increase
the commissions membership from
seven to nine.
Point Must Be Conceded.
1t became evident tonight that most
of the railroad executives have come
to believe that there can be only one
way of preventing strike, and that
, is by accepting the eight-hour day
plan. The chief effort to their own
conferences today was to find some
scheme by which an eight-hour day
may be out in operation on all the
railroads at the least added expense.
Many suggestions along this line have
ben made by the presidents, but no
one of them has proved feasible when
submitted to the acid test of operat.
ing officials.
1t is we'll understood that most Of
the executives now are convinced
that the eight-hour day in some form
must be conceded, and that they can
not expect President Wilson to recede
from the position he has publicly TAX
en-.
During the day the representatives
Continued on Page Twol