Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-15
Sufficient Groundwork AL.
ready Laid to Furnish
Working Basis.
CONFERS WITH BOTH SIDES
IN RAILWAY CONTROVERSY
Managers and Their Union En-
ployees Lay Their Argu-
ments Before Him.
FURTHER CONFERENCES TO-DAY
irobabic That Some Form OF Arbi-
tration Will BE Adopted to
Settle Dispute.

WASHINGTON. August 1t.-Prcsi-
dent Wilson conferred today with
both parties to tho threatened conn
try-widc railway strike. and II an
pearcd tonight that sufficient ground
work had been laid to furnish work.
ing basis for a settlement Of the diff
fcrcnces Of tho employees and cn
ploycrs. The Prcsidcnt will meet both
sides again Tomorrow.
At tho conclusion OF the days confer
| enccs tho President issued this state
ment:
81 have met both sides, and have
gone over the case with the utmost
frankncss. shall not be able to Judge
until tomorrow whether VIC have found
n feasible basis for settlement"
FOREMOST QUESTIONS
IN ARHiTRATION PROPOSALS
The foremost questions arc what
what shall be arbitratcd, if arbitration
is TO be resorteh to. and what form OF
arbitration shall be adopted Repre-
sentatives Of tho employees maintain
that their demand for an cight-hour
day and time and a half for overtime
is the only concrete proposition under
discussion. They insisted to the Presi-
dent In their conference to-day that the
railroads make some definite proposals.
If the railroads submitted some pro-
posed form OF settlement, they said,
they would be ready to discuss negotia-
| tions further.
| The employees are understood to be
| ready to consent to the principle OF
arbitration IL the contingent proposals
of the managers which the mon claim
involve rights they have won In thirty
years effort, are eliminated from con-
sideration and II arbitration is con-
Quoted by board on which all four
brotherhoods arc represented.
Immediately after learning the eT-
ployecs' position. the President sum-
moned the committee OF managers and
held a long conference with them.
They left the White House to confer
among themselves throughout tho
night, if necessary. and the general
understanding was that they discussed
the advisability of withdrawing their
contingency" proposals and submit
ting n proposition without strings" as
demanded by the men.
GROWING IMPRESSION Of
COMING ARBITRATION
While representatives of the e,n-
agreed to arbitrate any feature OF
their differences, there was growing
impression that arbitration, or some
form OF compromise, would be agreed
upon. At no time. 1t was said, did the
representatives of the men Indicate
that unless their demands were granted
| unqualifiedly they would go on strike.
Both sides refused absolutely To dis
cuss their meeting with the President
or venture any forecast on the prob
able outcome OF the negotiations. but
| leaders OF the two factions were opti-
mistic tonight that strike would be
avoided.
| The President, 1t was declared. mado
no compromise propositions to either
side to-day. He merely listened to tho
employees representatives and then
talked with the managers. and sug-
gestcd that some concrete working
basis be agreed upon before proceeding
| further. Indicative of his desire to
learn what results come from the rail-
road managers meeting tonight he
fore taking any further step, he ar
/ ranged another meeting with them for
! . o'clock tomorrow morning and ~
! conference with the representatives oC
/ tho employees for o'clock to- morrow
| afternoon.
| The Cabinet meeting tomorrow has
been Cancelled so the President may de-
| vote his time to the railroad question.
| lie Cancelled several engagements to-
day that he might have the fullest
opportunity to talk with the two sides.
y. u. C;arrctson, president OF the
Order of hallway Conductors. made it
clear to-day that under circum-
stances will the employees agree to
| arbitration under the Newlands act.
CONTEND THAT BALANCE
OF POWER Is TOO CLOSE
The board OF arbitration provided
by that act. they maintain. is too small.
The balance OF power. they contend. is
too close. and as a result the employees
have suffered Indications were that
the President, recognizing tho situ-
alton. might propose a special board OF
arbitration IL the negotiations reach
the arbitratnS stage, composed OF as
many as twelve mon. including repre-
scntativcs of all the hrothcrhoods.
I Reports that the President had noti-
/ tied the managers that unless some
agreement could be reached with the
men lac w"uld invoke his power to in
| tluence Congress TO pass an eight-hour
| law. We're circulated. but discounted by
those in close touch with the situation.
Il would light any attempt to pass
such a measure" was the terse remark
OF MIR. Garrctson upon hearing the re-
port
There was discus ,iou to-day OF the
possibility OF the President being chief
| arbitrator In the dispute, but his posi-
ton was understood to DC THAT no has