The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-08-04
BUSINESS Men TRY
TO AVERT STRIKE
Ask Congress to Direct U. S.
Inquiry Into R. R. Wages.
FOR PEACEFUL settlement
Members Of United States Chamber OF
Commerce Vote Overwhelmingly In
Favor of Letting Interstate Commerce
Commission Adjust Controversy.

| commission ADJUST Controversy.
Washington.-In order to ascertain
the position Of the business men Of
the nation on the controversy between
! the railroads Of the country and the
unions of train service employees. which
YVES precipitated by the demand Of the
laStrr for nm increase In wages that
wu9ld amount TO $1OO,OO0,OOO n year,
the United States Chamber of Com
marce recently submitted the mat
ter To vote of all its members. They
were asked TO express their opinion as
! 10 whether the dispute should be al
! lowed 10 take its course with the pos
sibility Of n great strike that would
! tie up all the transportation lines
! throughout the country and paralyZe
ali business, or whether they would
favor the adoption TO joint resolu-
ton by the two branches Of congress
directing the Interstate Commerce
Commission to investigate and pass
upon the matter.
The vote received was n very large
one and represented business organ
| iZations in every part OF the coun.
| try. The result was overwhelmingly
I'm favor Of placing the matter In the
| hands of the Interstate Commerce
| Commission. 9SiaI votes being cast I'm
| favor OF this course and only 2SH
against II. The result showed clearly
that the business interests of the
country are unalterably against per.
hitting the transportation lines to he
! tied up by national railroad strike
that would paralyze the commerce OF
the country and infict enormous losses
OF all classes of citizens.
Chairman Wheeler OF the Commit
| tee I'm charge of the matter for
the Chamber of Commerce appear
ed before the representatives Of the
railroads and their employees ut their
conference in New York in June. He
anpounced the result OF the Com.
mittce's inquiry among the business
men Of the country and urged both
parties to the dispute to get together
and adopt the course suggested. AS Il
result the committee Of managers rep
rosenting the railroads submitted a
proposal that the whole subject be
placed before the Interstate Commerce
| Commission as requested by the repre-
scntatives of the business interests.
As an alternative they offered To sub
init. the demands To arbitration under
| the Federal law. Both offers were
refused by the union leaders. who an
nounced that they would 60 back TO
their unions and get authority To de-
clare strike This they have since
been doing.
Meanwhile resolution has been In.
troduced I'm Congress directing the In
| tCrstate Commerce Commission to
make an investigation OF railroad
wages. This resolution Is now await
ing action. IL Is believed here that II
nbthing further Is done by Congress or
by the parties to the wage dispute 10
bring about n peaceful settlement the
business interests Of the country.
through the United States Chamber
OF Commerce. or some other organiza.
ton. will appeal TO the Government
10 take some direct and decisive action
to prevent the destruction OF national
prosperity by n strike on all the rail
road lines.