The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-21
Railroad Officials Are Said
to Be Considering a
Counter Proposal
TO AVERT STRIKE
THROUGH NATION
Reported to Be Discussing
Partial Concession and
Partial Arbitration

Washington, Aug. 2l.-The arrival to-
day of Louis W. Hill, president of the
Great Northern. and other western rail
road executives in response to President
Wilson's summons, promises important
developments in the threatened nation.
wide railroad strike situation Railroad
heads representing properties valued at
about Sl0000,000 are to be here for the
next conference with the president.
While the railroad officials have tenta-
lively refused to accept the settlement
plan of President Wilson, they are said
TO be considering the counter proposal to
| include arbitration OF some points in dis
pute and the granting of others.
| The leaders among the railroad exeeu-
| tives declared they were united against
the presidents plans as they stand but
hoped to find some way to accept the
eight hour day basis and still conserve
the principle OF arbitration. Both sides
to day declared the situation serious but
not hopeless.
President Wilson al noon sent word to
the railway presidents, asking them to
call on him at the White House at 2;30
this afternoon to which they agreed.
President Wilson defended his plan in
a reply to telegram from George Pope.
president of the National Association OF
Manufacturers, urging that the principle
OF arbitration be preserved in the strike
negotiations. Mr.. Pope's telegram fol-
lows:
Hartford, Conn. Aug. Is, 1916.
The President, the White House:
"On behalf OF thirty,seven hundred
manufacturing organizations employing
three million persons, and utterly de.
pendent upon uninterrupted railroad
service for their operation. | beg at once
to express our deep appreciation of your
efforts to prevent the threatened de
structiVe stoppage Of national railroad
service, and TO respectfully urge that
you will with all the power OF your
great Office and personality assert and
maintain the principle Of arbitration for
Industrial disputes affecting national IN
tercourse. No just demand can fear such .
a test no unfair demand can or should
survive it. We sincerely believe no man [
in our history has possessed such an OPP
to fortlfy this essential prin-
eiple Of public security against future
attack by employer or employe.
George Pope,
President National Association of
Manufacturers,
The president replied:
ALLOW me to acknowledge the receipt
VI your telegram OF August 18th and To II
'ay in reply that / hold to the principle
If arbitration with as clear conviction
md as firm a purpose as anyone, but
hat unfortunately there is no means
low in existence by which arbitration
an be secured. The existing means have
,een tried and have failed. This situa-
ion must never be allowed to arise
gain. but it has arisen. Some means
aust be found to prevent its recurrence,
ut no means can be found off hand or !
n hurry or in season to meet the pres :
mt national emergency. What / am pro- ',
osing does not weaken or discredit the
rinciples Of arbitration. 1t strengthens
!, rather. 1t proposes that nothing be
onceded except the eight-hour day, to ;
-hieh the whole economic movement of y
ne time seems to point, and the imme-
late creation of an agency for deter.
lining all the arbitrary elements in this :
ase in the light, not OF predictions or
breasts, but of established and ascer- .
tined facts. This is the first stage of
le direct road to the discovery Of the d"
est permanent basis for arhitra ton 9
hen other means than those now avail :
bic are supplied +