The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-08-17
OUTLOOK IS NOT
50 BRIGHT TO-DAY
SIX HUNDRED TRAINMEN WILL
SEE WILSON TO-DAY.
HAVE POWER TO CALL A STRIKE
President Understood To Have Def
nitely Discarded Any Hope For
Arbitration And Other Means
Must Be Used.

New York, Aug. 16.-The six hun
dred representatives of the trainmen,
who threaten to strike for their de-
mands for an eight hour day and time
and a half for over time, will go to
Washington this afternoon 70 meet
President Wilson. - ~
w. s. Carter, President of the Bro
therhood of Firemen, who came to
New York last night to submit the
Presidents proposal to the employees,
made this announcement today fol-
lowing a short conference with some
OF the leaders. "
The proposal submitted by Carter
was that the Railroads would adopt
the eight hour rule for a trial period
but continue the present pro rata pay
for overtime. .......
The 600 representatives of the 400.
900 men are district chairmen of var.
ious brotherhoods and it is in their
hands that the final decision of accept
,ance or rejection of proposals looking
to avert strike will rest.
Success or Failure.
! Washington, Aug. 16.-Success or
failure in reaching common ground
for settling the threatened general
railroad strike, hinges today on dis
: posal of other issues growing out OF
i the eight hour day principle. Hope OF
arbitration has gone. I'll.
The president is understood to have
definitely discarded this as means of
lno MI pitt tharn Ia
lstrong hope with the railroads consf d.
ing basic principles of shorter day
If there is a satisfactory disposal of
the question of collateral issues as oy-
er time pay,
4 One OF the most dramatic incidents
lin the history of American labor will
be enacted tomorrow in the east room
of the White House. Six hundred in
E dustrial workers, representatives Of
100000 fellow men, will hear from the
President, his reason for believing
there Is a way for the settlement of
difficulties with employees without the
use Of the weapon paralyzing trans
portation. The men are coming to hear
the appeal the President has made to
the subcommittee. Word was convey
ed to the President at 1890 today
that a conference in New York be-
tween delegates of a general committee
and w. S. Carter of the subcommittee
had resulted in nothing definite be-
yond an agreement to hear him. Ar
rangemen is were made Immediately
at the White House for the President
to receive them tomorrow. With the
agreement by the managers to accept
the basic principle of the eight hour
J day providing the question of over
time be submitted to an investigation,
the employees today were considering
a proposition embracing this clause
with the present rate for over time.
Both sides will thus yield somewhat
, from the original stand. 4n. ...
Agree to Eight Hours.
Washington, Aug. 16.--Another day
of conferences between President Will
: son, the railroad managers and the
, brotherhood leaders brought no settle
ment of the situation, which threatens
countrywide strike, but paved the
way for further conferences. 30
No form of arbitration now Is under
consideration, members OF the en-
plOyees' committee declared. Instead
/, 1t Is possible an agreement Will be
reached directly on one of the several
compromise proposals under consider
: alton.
/ President Wilson gave out the fol-
+ lowing statement after his conference
k with the employees:
O There Is no change; there is an
earnest effort being made to work out
-, a settlement"
After the managers had seen the
president the situation was described
by those in touch with 1t as very pre-
cariOus.
The men went into their conference
with the president at three o'clock In
the afternoon feeling rather gloomy
When they left him, nearly two hours
i later, with the prospect OF meeting
him again, the leaders were more hope
. full. Ii even was said there was pos
y sibility of direct settlement between
7 the two sides without resort to arbitra
y ton. sr
Members of the employees commit
Zee said consideration had been giyer
In their conference with the presiden
!, to the suggestion that the principle o
g an eight-hour day be accepted and col
/. lateral issues investigated by q com
e. mission.
II Workers Meet on Proposal.
q 1t was Indicated that this and othe
'e proposals would be discussed at
meeting of the labor leaders and woul
be referred to other representatives Q
the employees now in New York.
IL President Wilson In his talk with IN
N employees made the strongest plea 70
m settlement which he has yet PR
TO- scented. He delivered d brief speed
ng
Continued on Page 30