Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-08-25
Tentative Proposal, Framed
by Committee, Meets
Many Objections.
WILSON BELIEVES
PUBLIC APPROVES
President Is Understood to Have Told
Railroad Executives That People
viii Back Rate Advance II Need.
ed Because Of Shorter Day.

Washington, Aug. 24.-Objectons
which developed tonight at "a meeting
of the railroad preside nts and mana
gers to points in the tentative plan
evolved by the committee of eight,
considering ways and means to avoid
the threatened general strike, result
ed in further postponement of official
action. The conference adjourned to
meet again tomorrow, and, as one of
the railway presidents phrased it, "the
situation is such that it may be set
tied in 20 minutes or the matter may
go over until next week."
statement issued by the railroad
executives tonight summed it I'D this
way:
"At the invitation of President
Wilson, Messrs, Hale Holden, Judge
r. s. Lovett and Daniel Willard went
to the Write house at noon and held
a short conference with the president.
The conference of the railroad eexcu.
new phase of the situation of some i'm
e1ce by the special committee. Alto"
considerable discussion without def
mite action, adjournment to IL o'clock
tomorrow morning was taken. In the
meantime the special committee of the
presid nts will continue it's labors."
Wants Guarantee of Rate Increase.
The special committees plan,
drafted after a weeks consideration.
would provide for granting the eight
hour basic day to the vainmen but
with tins assurance that every effort
would be made by the administration
to procure a freight rate increase to
reccmpense the roads, ard the further
assurance that congress would enact
legislation to insure settlement Of
future labor disputes through an in
vestigatilg commission. The entire
plan has not been laid before all IN
presidents and managers. but It's
points have heen discussed at tho ve~i
oue conferences
1t developed at tonigh+'s weet'~o
that objections to the prorosal. "
GLIDING assurances for FREIGHT ra+o
Increases. were has d ON at least two
grounds. IT was agreed nv some tha+
there can be no assurance Of a rate
increase because no one can say what
the interstate commerce commission
might do. and that some of the most
| important shippers of the country
have notified the administration that
they were not in sympathy with the
plan for an eight-hour day II it means
freight rate increase.
1t was pointed out also that al
though President Wilson has ex-
pressed his belief that such rate IN
crease should be granted If the eight
hour day is given the employees, no
one can tell how tbs next election is
coming out, and there can be no posi-
tive assurance of an increase before
netx March or probably later. At
tention was called to the fact that the
commission hitherto has held that il
cannot consider wage standards IN
dealing with proposals for rate In
creases, although legislation by cor
gress has since removed that diff
Guilty.
Fear Labor In Congress.
| The principal argument against the
idea of 2 permanent commission for
! the preve ntion or settlement Of strikes
| were that such a proposal would al
most certainly be found by labor in
CONGRESS-, and. while president Wilsol
might be willing now to back such
| legislation, he might not be In posi-
ticn to do SO when it was proposed.
Representatives of the brotherhoods
who heard of this phrase of the situa-
ton were plainly against it.
/ A counter suggestion was heard
among the railroad presidents that the
strike question should be LETT to the
i interstate commerce commission with
power to investigate aad make public
reports of their findings with "a strike
held in allegiance pending investiga-
ton.
The special committees plan has
| Continued on page four)