The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-09-01
WILSON
ADDRESSES CONGRESS
On Tuesday Oh Railway
Strike Situation Clear
Statement of Case.

address to the Congress of the UnlteC
States on Tuesday President Wilson
made clear every phaze of the present
trouble between the railway officials
of the country and the various broth
erhoods of employees. 1t is a state
ment of historical interest and should
be read by every citizen in order that
he may know the exact status OF the
controversy and the reasons which
will more than likely on Monday next
result in one of the greatest indus
trial contests ever known in this coun-
try.
President Wilson spoke as follows.
"Gentlemen of the congress:
81 have come to you to seek your
assistance in dealing with a very
grave situation which has arisen out
of the demand of the employees of the
railroads engaged in freight train
service that they be granted an eight.
hour working day, safeguarded by
payment for an hour and half of
service for every hour of work beyond
the eight.
"The matter has been agitated for
more than a year. The public has
been made familiar with the demands
of the men and the arguments urged
in favor of them, and even more IA
miliar with the objections of the rail-
roads and their counter demand that
certain privileges now enjoyed by
their men and certain bases of pay
ment worked out through many years
of contest be reconsdered, especially
in their relation to the adoption of an
eight-hour day. The matter came
some three weeks ago to final issue
and resulted in a complete deadlock
between the parties. The means pro-
vided by law for the mediation of the
controversy failed and the means of
arbitration for which the law provides
We're rejected.
"The representatives of the railway
executives proposed that the demands
of the men he submitted in their en-
tirety to arbitration. along with cer-
tain questions of reimbursement as to
nav and conditions of employment
which seemed to them to be either
closely associated with the demands
or to call for consideration on their
own merits; the men absolutely de-
rIined arbitration, especially if any Of
their established privileges were by
that means to be drawn again in ques-
ton. The law in the matter pnt no
rpon them. The 100000
men from whom the demands proceed
cd had voted to strike if their de-
mands were refused: the strike was
ir7r,inent: it has since been set for
thp fourth of Sentpmber next. 1t af-
fects the men who man the freight
trains on practically every railway in
The country.
"Tho freioht service throughout the
United Stqtns must stand still until
their rlacos are filed. if indeed, It
ehould rrove noesible to fiji them ut
III. Cities will he cut off from their
food sunplies the whole commerce Of
he nation will be uar91v7nd. mon of
ovorv eort and ornunatioN will he
h"0wr ont of arnlOvnent, countless
thousands will in all likelihood be
or0uoht. II nav he. to the vnrv noint
# starvation. and a tragical national
calamity hroupht on. n he Ndded to
hn othn~ die+reeenS of the time be-
'auSe no hosts of accommodation or
'ettlpmoNt hos been found /
Conferred With Both Sides.
"Iust Ns soon as it became evident
hat r1ediation under the nviCtinr law
'ad failed and that arbitration hal |
,een rendered imnosSihle hv tho att
ude nf the men, I considered it nv
Iutv to confer with the representa-
ives Of both tho RAILWAYS and the
rotherhoods. and myself offer media
ion. not as an arhitrotNr. but merely
G SnokeGmAn Of the nation. in the in
o"ost Of Justice. indeed, end rs a
riond of both rarties. but not 90
nd~n or1v as the representative Of
no hrndrpd millions Of men. women
nd children who would nay the nrica,
he inca'cUlah'p nricn. Of loss and suf
orin0 should these few men insist. no
n anproachirr and concluding tho
'Htters in controversy between them
7p"elv as omnlovPre and EMPLOYEES.
other thar 9S natriotic citizens of the ,
Tnited StNtoe looking before and af-
or and accenting the larger reSponsi-
'litv which the public would put no I