Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-09
GREATEST RAILROAD STRIKE
IN HISTORY Of NATION MAY |.
Be DECLARED At ANY MINUTE

Arbitration Board to Act.
NE EM5ERs HASTEN TO
. OFFER sERvlcEs
American Federation Of Labor Back.
Ing Up Eight Hour Demands.
Washington. Aug. Sat the sus.
gestion of president Wilson. Judge
w. L. Chambers and G. w. w Hang.
er of the United States board Of msdi-
alton and conciliation left Washing.
tonight for New York to be on the
ground tomorrow when the represent
atives of the 100000 railroad men
threatening a strike meet with the
representatives OF the carriers.
Martin A. Knapp, the third member
of the board, also is expected to reach
New York tomorrow. @sA :
Under the law. the board 10 not
authorized to offer its services until
tie up is apparent and Intervention
necessary, but in view Of the masni.
tude of the threatened trouble. 1t was
said tonight that an offer to mediate
might be made. Should the employ.
ers and the men fail to get together
tomorrow, President Wilson. 1t was
said tonight, was anxious to have the
board on the ground ready to do
everything possible.
That the american Federation Of
Labor stands squarely behind the
men for their demands for - Sight-
hour day was made clexf II. = tels.
gram addressed to officials q -
union by President Gompers snA
made public here tonight. sa.s N.
When all efforts fail for mediation
or arbitration of the threatened strike
of 100000 railroad men for the eight
hour day, everybody in Washington
who knows thing about 1t predicts
that President Wilson will step per-
sonally into the crisis to avert q No.
tional tie up of transportation. -
He will invite both parties to Wash.
ington and endeavor to settle the con!
troversy through the department of
labor, is the opinion here. ~
The only two precedents are the an
thracite coal strike of 1903 and the
Colorado strike of 1894. a&F
Roosevelt's anthracite coal .strike
commission settled the 1903 strike. ,'F
Wilson called the department Of
labor into the Colorado strike, but the
corporations refused to meet with the
men. Then came the Ludlow passa
ere. and the federal troops. y
Tremendous business pressure II
being exerted throughout the land to
force the railroad men to accept arbi-
tration. .... ....-.~.s..s ..s.....gg.
W. S. Carter, president Of the Loco.
motive Firemen, has declared the de-
mands cannot be arbitrated. l.
But the men in Washington who
will have to handle the situation ex-
pect the government board Of media
ton and conciliation, created under
the Newlands act, will be called into
the case. The railroads will undoubt-
edly make the request, and the men
will agree.
Judge Martin A. Knapp and Jude
William L. Chambers constitute the
board.
Unof1icially, 1t is admitted BY all
concerned that efforts at mediation
will be unsuccessful.
Under the law it then becomes tho
duty of the board to induce tho two
parties to submit to arbitration.
Railroads are anxious for arbitrar
ton; the men are averse. Past afhi.
trations hove gone against them. they
contend. - -
The result Of the strike vote taken
by the employees the past month was
presented to the national conference
committee of managers and showed
an overwhelming majority was II
favor Of authorizing the chiefs TO call
a strike.
The managers made no definite an
swer to the renewed demands. Il was
agreed to adjourn until tomorrow
morning, to give the managers time
for further discussion.
Managers objsct. 4
The managers objected 10 he n
clusion in figures of the vote d ruad6
not represented in the conferenco but
were informed by the union AeaAe
that four brotherhoods were AsAtinI
for every railroad employee throagA-
out the country ~ q matter os princi.
pal. They insisted on including The
figures.
The managers also asked n a.
vote by individual roads would -
shown, but the reply Of The brueAeg
hoods said II the roads ware viItHG
to make public the returns e u ~
taken some time ago BY tAe fuo1n
themselves among their e9ployooo.
the unions would gladly tarSl6k -