Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-08-30
DOUBT PRESIDENTS
PLAN CAN SUCCEED
Some Democrats Foresee Fail
ure for Fourth and Fifth
Recommendations.
SEVERAL LEADERS SURE
STRIKE WILL NOT COME
Republicans in House Playing Wait
ing Game, Giving No Indication
of Attitude Toward Legislation.

Not all the democrats in Congress
believe the Presidents strike recon-
mendations can be enacted into law
speedily The republicans are playing
the waiting game and have taken no
attitude one way or another as to what
policy to pursue either in aiding or
fighting proposed legislation. Several
optimistic democratic leaders of the
House expressed themselves today as
confident there would be no strike and
that the announcements of the broth
erhood leaders calling strike for La
Dor day would be Cancelled before the
hour set
The foregoing is the situation on the
strike as 1t rests with the House of
Representatives today.
The most significant feature Of the sit
uation seems to be the belief by demo-
Gratis in the House that the Presidents
fourth and fifth recommendations can
not possibly pass the House
What Recommendations Are.
These recommendations are the Eek
crease of freight rates" and "the amend
ment of the existing federal statute
which provides for the mediation. con-
Citation and arbitration of such con-
troversies as the present. by adding to
1T a provision that In case the methods
of accommodation now provided for
should fail full public Investigation
of the merits of every such dispute shall
be instituted and completed before a
strike or lockout may lawfully be at
tempted"
The hand Of the financier is seen In the
communications to Congress today. Tele-
grams. 1ong-distance telephone messages
and other communications have poured
into the Capitol all day long urging all
hands to get together in an earnest en-
deavor to avert the greatest strike in the
history OF the world
One Of the kilograms reaching most
southern members is typical and reads as
follows:
For the past twenty years the best
extended toward procuring capital for
development of public utilities and other
enterprises In southern states. At this
crisis in the controversy between the rail-
roads and the four brotherhoods we feel
justified in requesting that the repre-
sentatives in Congress from the southern
states earnestly endeavor to enforce set
Element by arbitration of the questions
involved, thereby averting the menace to
the welfare Of the entire industrial sys-
tenn"
Doubts Passage in House.
Representative Adamson of Georgia,
chairman of the interstate and foreign
commerce committee. who will have the
duty of handling the proposed legis-
lation. is the authority for saying
there is doubt as to the ability Of
the House to pass the Presidents
fourth and NTH recommendation.
THE Speaker. Mr. Kitchin and I are
in accord with the proposition that
the strike can be averted by the pas
sage Of tho Presidents program, with
respecting rate increases. mediation
and compulsory arbitration" said Rep
resentative Adamson-
"T do not believe 1t possible to put
through the House any legislation as
suming that the railroads are entitled
to increase their freight rates, nor do
believe 1T possible to enact legislation
for compulsory arbitration. The inter
state commerce commission now has
the power to consider wages and fixing
railroad rates"
Representative Adamson said he was
marking time. awaiting a conference
with Senator New1ands. chairman of
the Senate committee, to inform him as
to the disposition of the House, in the
hope Of expediting legislation that will
avert the strike. He added that the re-
publican attitude in the House Is doubt
full.
The Newlands committee, notwith-
standing Representative Adamson's
views, Is in session today. framing legis-
lation embodying all of the Presidents
recommendations. 1t is impossible to
foretell. however, whether the entire
program will be acceptable to the SEN
ate, though 1t Is believed all the demo-
Gratis will support 1t.
View Of Southern Member.
A member OF tho House who owns half
Of q southern railroad. and who has
been . railroad engineer as well. dis
Guessed tho strife today. He said:
Il don't think there will be q STRIKE
because something IL bound to happen
to avert II between now and Labor
day. In tho nrss place 90 per cent OF
the men do not want It They voted
for It. but had there been q secret bal.
lot so per cent would have voted
against It"
The republican attitude toward the
entire situation has a sullen note In II
today. and II 10 impossible to approx.
mate exactly what will happen from
that quarter. Some Of them today wer,
sizing 1t up this way. politically:
This administration has been play
ing to the labor vote for three years
and now labor has repaid tho admin.
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