Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-15
CONF FERENCE To
Be HELD TODAY
WITH PRESIDENT
Foremost Question Is What Form
Of Arbitration Shall Be
Adopted. ..
- r.IY.lll...-
THOUGHT STRIKE
WILL BE AVERTED
Brotherhood Impressed By Presi.
dents Grasp of the Impending
Critical Situation.

Washington, Aug. 14.-President
Wilson conferred today with both
parties to the countrywide threaten.
ed railroad strike and tonight it ap-
peared that sufficient foundation had
been laid to furnish a working basis
for settlement of the differences Of
the employees and employers. The
president will meet both sides again
tomorrow.
At the conclusion of the days con.
ferences the president issued this
statement:
Il have met both sides and have
gone over the case with the utmost
frankness. shall not be able to
Judge S-uatil tomorrow whether M
have found feasible basis for settle
ment."
The Leading Questions.
The foremost questions are what
shall be arbitrated, if arbitration is to
be resorted to, and what form Of arbi-
tration shall be adopted. Represent
atives of the employees maintain that
their demands for an eight-hour day
and time and half for overtime is
the only concrete proposition under
discussion They insisted to the pres
ident in their conference today that
the railroads make some definite
counter proposal. If the railroads
submitted some proposed form of
settlement, they said, they would be
ready to discuss negotiations further.
The employees are understood to
be ready to consent to the principle
of arbitration, If the contingent pro-
posals of the managers, which the
men claim involve rights they have
won in thirty years effort, are elimin-
ated from consideration, and if arbi-
tration is conducted by a board on
which all four brotherhoods are re-
presented.
Wilson confers With Maanates.
Immediately after learning the en-
ployees position, the president sum.
moned the committee of managers
and held long conference with them.
They left the White House to confer
among themselves throughout the
night, If necessary, and the general
understanding is they discussed the
advisability of withdrawing their
contingency" proposal and submit
ting a proposition without strings"
as demanded by the men.
While representatives of the EN-.
ployees insisted that they had not
yet agreed to arbitrate any feature of
their differences, there was a grow
ing impression that arbitration, or
some form of compromise would be
agreed upon.
Both sides agreed absolutely to dis
cuss their meeting with the president
or venture any forecast on the prob
able outcome Of the negotiations, but
leaders of the two factions were opti-
mistic tonight that strike would be
avoided.
Will Meet Again Today.
The president, it was declared,
made no compromise propositions to
either side today. He merely listened
to the employees representatives and
then talked with the managers and
suggested that some concrete work
ing basis be agreed upon before pro-
ceeding further. indicative Of his de-
sire to learn what results come from
the railroad managers meeting to-
night before taking any further steps,
he arranged another meeting with
them for 9 o'clock tomorrow morning,
and conference with the representa-
tives Of the employees for o'clock
tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow's
cabinet meeting has been cancelled SO
the president may devote most of his
time to the railroad problem.
Reports that the president had noti-
fed the managers that unless some
agreement could be reached with the
men, he would invoke his power with
congress to pass an eight.hour law,
were circulated but discounted by
those in close touch with the situa-
tion.
Il would fight any attempt to pass
such measure" was the terse re-
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