Evening star., 1916-08-21

non- brotherhood railroad workers. who
are said to number so per cent of the
pay rolls of the railroads. although
their average pay is but half OF that
received BY the brotherhood men, are
now said to carry moro than 10000
signatures. These petitions have been
presented by Robert T. Frazier. an em-
ploye of the N. c. and st. l.. railroad. who
organized the movement. These petitions
ask some legislation that will provide for
hearing Of all railroad employees, the
nom brotherhood men as well as those
who are organized in any settlement of
wage schedules.
For Arbitration Principle.
President Wilson holds firmly to arbi-
tration as a principle in the present con-
troversy. He has so informed George
Pope president of the National Manufac-
turers' Associa ton. in response to tele-
graphic appeal from the latter that the
principle of arbitration be preserved in
the strike negotiations. The road ofn-
cials have contended that the principle OF
arbitration would be endangered by
President Wilson's plan of settlement Tne
plan strengthened rather than weak
ened it.
Telegram to President.
Mr.. Pope's telegram to the President
was as follows:
"On behalf of 800 manufacturing or
ganfzations, employing 100000 persons.
and utterly dependent upon uninterrupt-
ed railroad service for their continued
operation / beg to at once express our
deep appreciation of your efforts to pre-
vent the threa tened destructive stoppage
of national railroad service, ana 70 re,
spectfully urge that you VIII, WIN al
the power of your great office and per-
sonality. assert and maintain the prin-
ciple of arbitration for industrial disputes
affecting national intercourse. NO just
demand can fear such test, no unfair de-
mand can or should survive it.
I'VE sincerely believe no man in our
history has possessed such an oppor-
tunity to fortify this essential prin-
ciple of public security against future
attack by employer or employee
Reply of Mr.. Wilson.
The President wired the following
reply:
ALLOW me to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of your telegram of August 1s,
and to say in reply that 1 hold to the
principle of arbitration with as clear
conviction and as firm a purpose as
any one, but that, unfortunately, there
is no means now in existence by when
arbitration can be secured. the exist
ing means have been tried and nave
failed. This situation must never be
allowed to arise again, but 1t mas
arisen. Some means must be found TO
prevent its recurrence, but no means
can be found offhand or in hurry or
in season to meet the present national
emergency.
What am proposing does not weak
en- or discredit the principle of arbitra-
ton 1t strengthens it. rather. 1t pro-
poses that nothing be conceded except
the eight-hour day, to which the whole
economic movement of the time seems
to point, and the immediate creation
of an agency for determining all the
arbitration elements in this case in
the light-not of predictions or fore
casts, but of esta ablished and ascer-
tanned facts.
This is the first stage of the direct
road to the discovery of the most
permanent basis for arbitration when
other means than those now available
are supplied" D
President Wilson had before him to-
day numerous kilograms from business
men and trade bodies urging that he
insist on arbitration. 1t was said off,
cially, however. that the appeals would
be without effect on him, since he had
failed in his efforts to bring about
arbitration and had no way of fore
ing 1t.