New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-21

the railroad presidents, on Friday, ne
told them that. although he did not
favor government ownership. there was
a growing sentiment in that direct,on
among certain elements of the pop1la-
ton. and that a strike would tend 10
strengthen that tendency.
Railroad Heads Kcenly Interested
Furthermore, in spite Of the White
House denial, the railroad executives
heard that the brotherhoods had peen
let in on the proposed plan and hau
acquiesced in il. At any rate, the ran
road heads were keenly interested. one
of them said that before the INK OF the
Presidents pen was dry on any suen
bill the roads would have someth ng
doing in the Supreme Court: II is al
most certain that no such bill could be
passed by Congress in time TO prevent
the execution of a strike threat:
Somebody tells me- said NJ pnder-
wood, chat President Wilson may take
over the railroads in the event OF a
strike. Good, ] say. Let nm try H.
God speed him. It's NICE thihg 10
talk about, but I'd like to see wha'
would happen in Congress"
Workers Sure of Victory.
While The President and the railroad
heads are marking time, waiting 1or
the rest of the country's railroad eXecu,
tiyes TO reach Washington for hnal
meeting. the four brotherhood heads
and Gao adjustment chairmen are SIT,
ting in the lobby of the old National
Hotel or enjoying pleasant vacation
thoroughly satisfied that they Will win
in the end. The President is on their
side and they don't care now what
happens. Their camp presents a strlk,,
ing contrast to that of the railroad
heads, where nobody seems 10 know
whether it will be finish fight or an
ultimate equalization.
The railroads figure out that strike
could be broken in their favor in three
or four days. This is how they. LOOK
Mt il: The whole solution OF the
problem of running trains during a
strike lies in the operation OF loco
motives. The railroads know that the
Union Pacific engineers are not in the
strike vote at all and that the unions
had hard pulling to get the engineers
of the Santa Fe to join them. Further
more, it is stated, many or the older
engineers on all the roads demurred
. at first when the vote was beng taken
and voted TO strike ultimately only pc
cause they were assured by their
leaders that the issue would never
come to a strike if they showed o
united front.
100000 Men Behind Roads.
There are about 400, 900 men employ
ed in the big railroad shops throughout
the country. Many of these men know
a locomotive from A TO u. The roads
think that many of these men woufd
stand by their companies if they got
sufficient protection from the govern
ment. 81,
J Finally, the railroads expect that
if the case comes TO a strike, the gov
ernment will insist on the operation OF
some trains. officers of the General
Staff of the army assert that, gwen a
months time, the army could operate
trains on all the roads in the country
The War Department has made study
of the situation, and the Engineer
Corps has been directed to ascertain
lust how many men there are available
to operate locomotives.
In the interest Of the railroads plea
for arbitration, il is pointed out to-day
that Garretson, Stone and Carter, three
of the brotherhood leaders who refuse TO
consider arbitration of their demands
for eight-hour days and time and a
half pay for overtime, have changed
about completely on that subject since
the Newlands law was framed. AT
that time, according TO the records OF
the hearings before the Senate Com