Bisbee daily review., 1916-08-26
CRISIS EXPECTED TODAY.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25.-A crisis tomorrow in the threatened nation wide railroad strike appeared un- aIoidable tonight.
 Heads of the four railroad brother hoods went to the White House today and informed President Wilson that under no circumstances could they hold their committee of $40 here after tomorrow night. The men, they said, were demanding that they obtain some definite answer on the President Wilson plan, already accepted by them, or that they be permitted to go home and prepare for a strike Everything was declared to be in readiness for a walk-out whenever the committee of $40 gave the word.
 The President is understood to have given the men no definite promise as to what he would do. He made an appointment with them for noon to- morrow, however, and shortly after they left the White House sent for three of the railroad executives to advise them of what had happened.
 The railroad presidents and man agers had tWo conferences during the day and continued their sessions until late tonight, working on communica- ton to the President setting forth their position on the proposal that they grant an eight hour day with pay at the rate now given for a 10 hour day. It was understood that the tentative draft of this communica- tion sets forth that the railroads agree to the eight hour day principle but believe that the pay for such a day should be made the subject of arbitra- tion.
 The railroad heads insist, as they have from the beginning of the nego- ! tiatiOns, that it is increased pay and not a shorter working day that the employees really desire. To grant them the shorter basic day at the present pay, it is contended, would mean an additional annual eXpendi- ture of s52.OOOOOO. Representatives of the men indicated tonight that such a reply would be unsatisfactory. It has been well known since the presidents came here that many Of them would welcome a strike. Some of them have pointed out that in their opinion submission in the pres ent crisis would weaken discipline on 1 the lines. and that it would only be short time until the trainmen's de i mands are followed by similar ones of the other employees. Some of .hem | think that a strike would last only a ' few days at the longest, and the more | important systems would have little | trouble handling the mails and milk | trains and supplying the larger cities l with foOdstuffs.
 The railroad executives virtually l dismissed from all consideration to day questions of freight rate increases and of methods of insuring settle ment of future disputes. They cen
 tered attention on the two pIcposi
 tiOns of the eight hour day and tho arbitration of wages under it.
 Statements were issued by President Howard Elliot. of the New Haven, and
 R. II. Ashton, of the ChicalD and 1 Northwestern. Mir. Ellitt said hC
 hoped a real solution would be found
 for the situation, rather than that il should be settled off hand and solely
 in the interest of the 400, ,O00 who arr now pressing their demands '"
 President Ashton said that in 1900 amounts of wages paid trainmen em [ ployes for each 1000 tons of freight
 moved one mile was 564 cents, while
 in 1914 it was 61 cents, an increase of 23 per cent
 The conference committee of man