The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-08-31

house leaders. They are making plans
to rush the presidents legislative pro-
gram through in time to prevent the
strike.
1t has been suggested that If set
Element is not assured by Saturday, a
joint measure shall be passed by con-
gress, making strike that will tie up
the railways of the country a criminal
offense Under this plan railway man
ayers who lock out their men, or labor
leaders who are responsible for q
strike would be subject to heavy fines
daily during the continuance of the
lockout or strike.
.ty Brotherhoods Are Firm.
The brotherhood representatives who
still are here, voted unanimously not to
withdraw their strike order as a re-
suit of the representations made to
congress by the president.
The brotherhood men have decided
to make fight to the last ditch
against the compulsory arbitration
feature of the presidents plan 10
create a commission to investigate
strikes.
The senate passed a resolution sum-
moning all absentees to return imme-
diately lin view of the present emer-
gency." ~#
A general exodus of railway presi-
dents and managers is in progress
from Washington, They say:
1.-The strike is inevitable unless we
submit to union domination, which
spells bankruptcy, or nothing"
President Wilson will try to speed
up" congress with antistrike laws,
1.-THE brotherhood leaders voted not
10 let Wilson's speech change their de-
termination to strike. .... ..
Wilson Before Congress.
Declaring the railway presidents
slave thought best that they should
be forced to yield, If they must yield,
not by counsel but by the suffering
of the country" President Wilson APP
pealed to congress to enact drastic leg
islation to prevent the threatened rail
way strike.
His recommendations included an
eight-hOurS. railway law and cOmpul-
sorry investigation of labor disputes.
$FThe strike situation was admittedly
most acute. The railway presidents
are ready to go home. Many already
have departed.
The brotherhood chiefs say that If
the roads have not accepted the Origi-
nal plan of the president and granted
the eight-hOur day by next Monday
Labor day-their men will quit work
Text Of Message.
The text of President Wilson's ad-
dress to both houses assembled in
joint session in part was 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 rail-
roads, engaged In freight train service,
that they be granted all eight-hour
working day, safeguarded by payment
for an hour and half of service for
every hour Of work beyond the eight.
Il. Opposing Forces DeadIoeked.
"The representatives of the railway
executives proposed that the demands
of the men be submitted In their en-
tirety to arbitration, along with GER
tain questions of readjustment as to
pay and conditions of employment
which seemed to them to be either
closely associated with the demands
or TO call for reconsideration on their
own merits; the men absolutely de-
clined arbitration, especially If any of
their established provisions were by
that means to be drawn again in ques-
tiOn.
THE law in the matter put no COM
pulsion upon them. The 100000 men
from whom the demands proceeded
had voted the strike If their demands
were refused; the strike was immi-
nent IL has since been set for the 4th
of September next. 1t affects the men
who man the. freight trains on prac-
tlcally every railway in the country.
Cities viii Be Cut Of.
"The freight service throughout the
Slduu SIN
their places are filled. If, indeed, 1t
should prove possible to fill them at
all. Cities viii be cut off from their
food supplies, the whole commerce Of
the nation will be paralyzed. men Of
every sort and occupation will be
thrown out of employment, countless
thousands will in all likelihood be
brought, II may be, to the very point
of starvation, and a tragical national
calamity brought on, to be added to
the other distresses of the time, be-
settlement has been found.
Pleads for Eieht-Hour Day.
at seemed to me, In considering the
subject matter Of the controversy. that
the whole spirit Of the time and the