New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-06
Army of Lawyers for the
Roads Are Poring Over
Constitutionality.
RAIL CHIEFS SAY
MEN WOULD NOT QUIT
Declare Leaders Tricked
Followers Into Tie
Up Threat.

Something like 1000 Of the best
LAWYERS in the country were at WORK
Yesterday in the general Offices OF the
225 interstate carriers affected o.
President Wilson's eighthour day
law, seeking to determine If any good
ground exists for an attack on its con-
stitutionality.
That fact was cited by railroad Of
fcials here as an answer-the only an
swer the roads care to make at thls
time-to reports from Washington
concerning a supposed attempt at a
decker through which, by an unquaii-
fed. hands-down acceptance OF the
measure, the carriers hope to win ma
terial concessions from the four
brotherhoods.
Lawyer Now Boss.
As the situation now STANDS tne
general counsel has become a bigger
man than the railroad president ahu
the managers conference committee
representative put together. II IS LOT
him TO say whether or rot the Sioo',,
600. OOO-a-year law is to be permitted
to stand. $50. :.
lis the boss now. None Of the rest
Of us dare to talk" =
Ira A. Place, vice-president IN
charge Of the law department OF the
New York Central, was appealed 10.
81 can't say n thing about what pro,
cedure will be taken by the railroads,
he said. 81 don't know and | don
think any one else is quite sure, just
now" IT,,
There are two big questions which
the general councils and their STAINS
will have TO decide before January l.
1917. when the eighthour law be-
comes operative. One is as to the pos
sibility of enjoining the Federal gov
eminent from putting the law INTO
force-for some such action may
follow a decision TO put the question
of constitutionality up TO the supreme
Court. The second is, Of course, as 10
the possibility Of having the eight
hour day overthrow in that tribunal
Saw Brotherhoods Weakened.
One reason why the railroads would
not seem to be anxious 20 enter INTO
any deal binding them not to hght the
law lies in the apparently general pc
lief Of operating officials that me m
diyidual members Of the brotherhoods
were as anxious as any one else con-
cerned 10 avert strike, regardless OF
the matter of carrying their points.
With the calling IF Of the strike set
for September 4, the strike vote by
which the men authorized their lead
ers to go the limit" was automatl-
cally rescinded. Before another strike
could be called the proposition would
have to be put TO the ballot again IN
each Of the lodges Of each OF the
bro.herhoods; and the officials are
confident that a majority OF the men
never again will vote IN favor OF
walkout.
1T was apparent during the last few
days in Washington" said one man.
high in the counsels OF one OF the big
gest roads and sharing the general de-
sire for anonymity in discussion OF
the situation, that fully seventy per
cent of the men were against strike.
Several of them told me that they
would not have voted for one had
their leaders not told them their o. X.
10 that clause of the demands meant
nothing. Will they naturally were
anxious TO get whatever additional
compensation for their work that the
roads could be persuaded to grant,
their satisfaction with existing con-
ditions was such that they were loath
to 20 TO the extent Of striking to bet
ter themselves"