The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-30
nsel, but by the suffering

OF the country.
while my conferences with them
were in progress and when 20 all ont
ward appearance those conferences
had come to a standstill, the repre-.
sentatives OF the brotherhood sud
denly acted and set the strike for the
fourth OF September.
Railways Firm For Arbitration.
The railway managers based their
decision to reject my counsel In this
matter upon their conviction that
they must at any cost to themselves
or to the country stand firm for the
principle OF arbitration which the men
had rejected | based my counsel
upon the indisputahle fact tina, there
was no means OF obtaining arbitra-
ton The law supplied none. earnest
efforts at mediation had failed to In
fiuence the men in the least.
ITO stand firm for the principle of
arbitration and yet not get arbitration
seemed to me futile and something
more than futile, because II inv1l yed
incalculable distress to the country
and consequences in some respects
worse than those Of war, and that in
the midst OF peace.
Il yield to no man in firm adher-
ence, alike Of conviction and of pur-
pose, to the principle OF arbitration in
industrial disputes; but matters have
come to a sudden crisis in this par
tiCular dispute and the country had
been caught unproyded with any
practicable means of enforcing that
] conviction in practice tby whose fault
We Will not now stop to inquired.
situation had to be met whose ele-
ments and fixed conditions were in
disputable
The practical and patriotic course
"a ~ 10
to secure immediate peace by con-
+ Ceding the one thing in the demands
/ Of the men which society itself and
any arbitrators who represented pub
J tic sentiment were most likely to APP
prove. and Immediately lay founda-
atoms for securing arbitration with
regard TO everything else involved.
The event has confirmed that judg-
ment
Would Safeguard the Future.
II was seeking to compose the
| present in order to safeguard the flu
ture for I wished an atmosphere OF
/ peace and friendly cooperation in
| which to take counsel with the rep
resentatives OF the nation with regard
! to the best means for providing, so
! far as 1t might prove possible to pro-
vide. against the recurrence of such
unhappy situations in the flture--the
/ best and most practicable means of
securing calm and fair arbitration OF
all Industrial disputes in tho days to
come. This is assuredly the best way
! of indicating principle. namely,
! having failed to make certain Of Its
! Observance In the present, to make
certain OF Its observance in the future.
Failed to Bring About An Agreement.
T. but ! could only propose, I could
not govern the Will OF others who
took an entirely different view OF the
| circumstances OF the case, who even
refused TO admit the circumstances to
be what they have turned out to be.
Having failed to bring the parties
10 this critical controversy to an &C
commodation. therefore, turn to you
dceming II clearly our duty as pub
lie servants to leave nothing undone
that we can do TO safeguard the life
and interests of the nation.
Legislation Recommended.
In the spirit of such a purpose.
earnestly recommend the followint
Legislation:
First, Immediate provision for tn,
? enlargement and administrative re
organization of the Interstate Com
mcrce Commission along the lines EN-
. bodied in the bill recently passed b,
the House Of Representatives AM
, now awaiting action by the Senate
= III OJutT Itlht iilt pDltulnSlpH may ~
a enabled to deal with the many Rrea
n and various duties now devolvinl
/. upon il with a promptness and thor
a oughness which are with its presen
r constitution and means of action prac
n tically impossible.
!, Second, the establishment OF al
" cight-hour day as the legal basis alik
of work and of wages In the employ
a ment of all railway employees who ar
N4, all in, he IL, 90
I Grating trains in interstate transpor
: taton.
= Third. the authorization OF the ap
T pointment by the President of small
4 body OF men to observe the actua
. results In expenses of the adoption
. of the eght-hour day in railway trans
q portation alike for the men and 70
+ tho railroads; It's effects in the mat
Il ter OF operating costs in Tho applica
n ton OF the existing practices am
: agreements to the Few conditions, an
r in all other practical aspects. with tn
provision that the investigators shal
report their conclusions to the Con
=, gress al the earliest possible date
e but without recommendation as I
a legislative action, In order that III
. public may learn from an unpre ju
" diced source just what actual devel
opments have ensued,
a Fourth. explicit approval by tn
: Congress OF the consideration by tn
: Interstate Commerce Commission o
q an increase OF freight rates to NEE
n such additional expenditures by tn
a railroads as may have been rendere
n necessary by the adoption OF tn
i, eight-hour day, and which have no
O been offset by administrative read
,s justments and economies should tn
y facts disclosed Justify the increase.
Fifth an amendment OF the ex
h. listing Federal statute which provide
A for the mediation. Cancellation. an
= arbitration of such controversies a
q the present by adding to II provisio
r that in case the methods OF accom-
a mediation now provided for shout
fail, a full public investigation Of tn
merits OF every such dispute shall b
~ Instituted and completed before
v strike or lockout may lawfully be at
= tempted.
. And, sixth. the iodgmeAt In tn
a hands OF the executive OF the power
In case Of military necessity, to TAX
q control OF such portions and sue
= rolling stock OF the railways of tn
country as may be required for mill
4 tary use and to operate them for mill
\ tarv purposes, with authority to draf
:. Into military service OF the Unite