The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-08-30
STRIKE ORDERED
FOR LABOR DAY
Mr.. Wilson Cheered When He
Asks Congress- Aid.
OFFICIALS RETURN TO HOMES
Negotiations Virtually Broken Of
Both Sides Make Statements-Pree
ident Sees Victory for Labor.

Washington, Aug. 30.-The great ma
tion-wide railroad strike involving
100000 men, has been definitely or
dered for next Monday Labor day.
unless a settlement is reached before
that time. previous order required
q secret ignal to put it in effect.
Negotiations between President WI
son and the leaders OF both sloes VI
the dispute have virtually been broken
off. The railway presidents are ready
to go home. Many already have De
parted.
Representatives of the employees an
nounced that all the labor delegates
excepting Messrs. Garretson, Lee, Sar'
ter and Stone, the grand chiefs OF the
four railway brotherhoods, will leave
for their homes to take charge Vi
strike arrangements.
This was the situation when Pres1
dent Wilson went before congress
in Joint session and requested leg1sla
ton to compel the adoption OF an
eight-hour day for railway employ
es, arbitration to prevent the recur
renee of a situation such as exists IN
the railway dispute, and authority &c
operate the railroads of the country
for government purposes in case the
strike becomes an actuality.
The president told congress OF his
efforts to bring the railroad managers
and the men into some sort of agree
ment, and, saying he was powerless
to do more, he asked congress to enact
certain sUecinc legislation to deal with
the situation now and in the future.
Pointing out the distress and hard
ships which a nation wide strike would
bring upon the country, the president
asked congress to empower him to
draft into the service Of the United
States the very managers and men
who have been unable to adjust their
differences so that the government
may operate the railroads in case OF
military necessity.
The labor leaders admittedly took
their action in the belief that some
means was being sought to prevent the
strike actually being called. By their
action they think they have ant1ci-
pated any legal processes which might
be brought against them.
The president presented all the de-
tails of the two weeks of negotiation
to congress, recounting how he had
laid before both sides picture Of the
distress into which a strike would
plunge the nation and he had as
sured the railway M rs that the
public would see th was done
Them. ''They haY it best"
said he, referring/ ey man
ksers, sstkat the1 need to
xIa16 II they oun-
- bit by u run
- 81 adm to
- what they hav( ID be-"
ApD1anse greete |esident's
' decsaxatfon that nd ed It as
practical certainty" thS am oads
Fould be ultimately obliged to accept
the eight-hour day by the concerted
action of organized labor backed by
the favorable judgment of society"
The brotherhood leaders met to dis
cuss the latest proposal of the COM
mittee of railway executives, but II
was predicted they would reject it. It
was apparent that President Wilson
expected such action, and went on with
preparations to lay the situation be-
fore congress-.
Brotherhood leaders, it was under
stood, will fight the compulsory in
vestigation feature of President Will
sons legislative program but support
his eight-hour proposal. Every effort
will be made, it was said, to get sepa-
rate votes on the proposition in con-
gress and leaders were confident that
could be done. A. B. Garretson,
spokesman for the men, expressed him
self as strongly opposed to the COM
pulsory investigation plan.
'The Canadian compulsory investi-
cation plan," he said, has proved the
greatest throttle to labor that ever
has been devised. Invariably, and l
speak from experience In dealing with
railways, the railroad heads have used
this delay guaranteed them by law to
prepare for a strike"