Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-14

New York, Aug. 14.-f President
Wilson fails in his effort to settle the
differences between the railroads and
their employees and general strike is
called, it will be directed from head
quarters in this city. This was an
nounced today by the representatives of
the brotherhoods and the managers
now in Washington to confer with the
president.
At brotherhood headquarters it was
said all preparations had been made for
putting into effect a strike that would
stop every train on the 225 railway sys-
ems of the United States The criti-
cal state of affairs was indicated by the
anxiety displayed in every big indus
try which would be crippled by the
strike
Unless the president can find solu-
ton 1t means a strike" said A. b.. Gar
retson, president of the Order of Rail-
way Conductors, and official spokesman
or the employees. as he boarded the
train for Washington at midnight.
Each Side BIames Other.
Elisha Lee. chairman of the confer
ence committee of railroad managers.
who with the eighteen members OF his
committee. went to Washington on the
same train that carried the thirty rep
resentatives of the brotherhood dele
gates, placed the responsibility on the
men Tor failure of attempts at media
ton. Mr.. Garretson said that the un-
bending attitude of the railroad man
ayers was to blame for the break.
Authorities here declared that while
the national labor laws gave the pres
ident no right to interfere the broad
police powers vested in him gave him
authority to put soldiers on the trains
and even to declare martial law if he
believed the situation called for such
drastic measures.
Attention was called to the last ma
tional railroad strike in 1894, when
President Cleveland used the regular
army to guard locomotives and cars,
Tension in Business Circles.
The tension in business circles here
today showed a realization of the acute
danger Of strike. An aggregate of
nnanclal losses. running. perhaps. into
millions of dollars. idleness and food
prfVation, were among the possibilities
WHiCl Inc Slrlke presented.
1t may be remembered. business men
said. that there is scarcely a factory
which does not depend on the railroads
for its products. A strike would mean
that the steel mills of Pittsburgh would
be cut off from the steel mines in Mich
igan and Wisconsin,; the automobile
factories of Michigan from the manu-
factured steel Of Pittsburgh, and every
industry will be cut off from coal to
feed their furnaces and dynamos.
The large communities which receive
the bulk Of their food from long dis
tances would be forced to rely on what
products could be brought in by wagon,
| automobile, trolley or vessel.
Other Far Reaching Effects,
The suspension Of the country's ex-
ports, the congestion Of imports at
coast cities, the strantiing Of hundreds
Of thousands of travellers and summer
resort visitors far from their homes
these are other possibilities which the
strike situation presented, to say moth
ing Of the effect on railroads themselves
and their employees.
The total capitalization Of the rail-
roads of the country amounts to more
than 100000 100000 and their gross rev.
enue has been estimated at more than
$4,000, 100000 on the basis of recent re-
ports.
The latest estimates available show
that the railways operate 251,9S4 miles
Of tracks and transport annually 1888
679,6S0 passengers. The passengers cars
have been computed at ZOO and other
cars at 2.393,S08.