River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-08-31
PRESIDENT WILL GO BEFORE
CONGRESS IN PERSON IN Eff
FORT TO PREVENT NATION
WIDE WALKOUT.
COPIES OF STRIKE ORDER
RECEIVED BY ROAD HEADS
Chief Executive Still Hopeful of Pre-
venting Tieup in Spite of Failure
TO Bring Two Sides Together -
Legislative Program is Pre-
pared for Soons.

Washington, Aug. 20. - President
Wilson has definitely decided to go
before Congress in person, to recon-
mend legislation aimed to avert the
threatened nationwide railroad strike,
or to stop it If it comes before Con-
gress can act.
He worked until late at night on
his message In which he will tell
members of the Senate and House
the negotiations to date, and lay be-
fore them a definite legislative pro-
gram.
Wilson Reaches Decision.
The President reached his decision
after conferences at the White House
with the committee of eight railroad
representative and the four brother
hood heads on new proposal for set
Element Of differences suggested by
the executives, and after a prolonged
discussion of the situation at the Capt.
Col with the members Of the Democrat
hc steering committee Of the Senate.
The railroad presidents committee
gave out the following statement after
ecutfves and the managers:
"At a conference at the White
House at 2:30 p. M, between the Pres
Hdent and the committee of eight Of
the railroad presidents, suggestion
was laid before the President in the
nature Of a proposition for progress
toward q solution of the question at
issue, and this was left with him for
bis consideration.
May Leave Capital Soon.
The committee expects again to see
the President in the near future, but
before leaving, the committee pointed
out to him that If the reports that the
date for declaring the strike had been
fixed for September a, were true, it
would force an early conclusion of the
negotiations and compel the presi-
dents to return to their properties to
prepare for the ISSUE"
Ask Probe by Commission.
The proposition of the railroad ex-
ecutives is that an Investigation of all
issues be conducted byea commission
to be named by the President, the in
vestigation to last for a period Of three
or four months; no action to be TAX
en- by either side in the meantime and
at the conclusion of the inquiry the
situation to be what it is now, the en-
ployes having the choice of either ar
bitrating or striking.
RecaIi of Strike Order Refused.
When the railroad brotherhood
heads went to the White House the
President not only Laid before them
the plan of the executives, but strong
Iy urged the withdrawal of a tentative
strike order sent out Sunday, subject
to release calling for wallkout of the
100000 brotherhood members at a.
m. Labor Day, September 4. This re-
quest was fatty refused, the leaders
saying only the committee of $40 had
power to recall the order.
information Worries Wilson.
Copies OF the strike order were
brought to the Presidents attention
after they had got into the possession
OF the railroad executives It had
been known that the members of the
committee Of $40 carried home with
chem a tentative order, but no one
outside the brotherhood councils had
suspected that date had been set,
and the President is said to have been
greatly perturbed by the information
After the refusal to withdraw the or
der, he communicated with the rail-
road presidents who held meeting
chat lasted until late in the night.
Still Hopes to Avert Strike.
In spite of the apparent final failure
pr his efforts to bTNg the two sides
together, the President was represent
Pd as being still hopeful of averting
strike
The legislative program prepared
Cor Congress includes the following
measures:
An eight-hour day law for railroad
employees, so framed as to give the
railroads time to prepare for it and a
law patterned after the Canadian In
dustrial disputes act, providing for an
investigation of industrial disputes on
railroads by commission and prohib-
sting strikes or lockouts pending the
outcome of the investigations.