The Detroit times., 1916-08-30
Bla m es BarOns For
Crisis In Address
To Congress
REVIEWS EFFORTS
TO MAKE PEACE
Obs tinacy of Road
Heads Threatens
Calamity

WASHINGTON. Aug. ?s,-Presi'
dent Wilson, In a dramatic address
10 both houses OF congress late
Tuesday recommended the imme-
date passage of legislation designed
IN avert or mitigate the impending
railway strike and denouncinS the
railroad presidents for failure TO &C,
cept his eight-hour day program oi
settlement.
The full text OF the presidents
address follows:
Gentlemen OF the congress:
b.va come TO you to seek your
assistance IN dealing with a yer
crave situation which has arisen "us
az m. demand OF the emploA's "a
Tho railroads engaged In freight tram
s.rytre that they be granted an S'Eul
hour working dnJ, safes uararI
payment Tor an hour and hait OF
service for every houI OF "O'A u
yond the eight.
The matter has been nsitated for
more than n year. The puoNc mas
been made familiar win the uetAa'us
OF the men and ihe hiEunrhtS u'
IN favor OF them, ana even more ~
miliar with the objections OF the Ihu
roads and their counter demand that
certain privileges now enjoyed %
their men and certain pass o. pay
ment worked out through many year ;
~ contest be rccons dcred, "speclaliy
in their relation TO tho adopuoh oI
an eight hour DAY. The matter CArlr
some three weeks ago. 70 a ma aat issie
and resulted In complete ue"u4"1N
between the parties
The means provided by law for tho
mediation OF tho controversy lal y
and the means Cf arbitration Tor
which the law provides were r'Jcct
cd The representative 81 the rail-
way executives proposed that the de
nAndS OF the men pc Supmlttrl IN
Their entirety 20 Rrbitratl"n' at'hS
with certain questions uf rcadJuSt-
uout as 10 pay and COndl tons OF en-
tloyulrut which seemed 10 them 10 -
either closely associated with the de-
mands cor 90 call for tec"nsiderst' Ton
un their own merits. the men anso-
Iutely declined arbitration. especially
IT any ol their "stabltshe privileges
were Iy that means tp He draw
,gaiu nl que zion. The law IN the
matter put no computation upon them,
The SEQ. non men from W"p'n inc "'
Wanig proceeded Itd voted pa N''. 49,
n their demands w,t' refused. &C."
strike wa .nm .usrf. 70 uus since
been scr rpr the fourth pi sept Un
nest o. lNe,te iH' u.n va" man
the frfigh' ,.AIn. un pro. .,H'l. '.'i
RAILWAY Iu trr country THO ff"'en
must stand stil until thr,r pi.'' .
are nlled. ~ indeed, 10 should rroF"
possible u ON ta"w ai all. ttii,t
win be cut OF from their food sup
uiier the whole commerce ~ the ma
ton will be paralyzed. men ~ every
sort and occupation VIII DO thrown
out OF employment, countless thou
lands wuf In an likelihood. he
brought. - may DO. 90 tho very point
OF starvation and a national calamity
hrought on. 20 be added o. the other
dIstrcsses ~ the time. because NO
basis 81 accommodation or settlement
has been found.
Just a. soon az IL became evident
Mat mediation under the existing law
Rad failed. and that arbitration had
been rendered impossible by tho at
tItudo 81 tho mon, I considered ~ my
duty go confer with the representa-
tIvrN 90 both the railways ana the
trothcrh0CdE and myself OT"r media
tlon not - an arbitrator hui merely
as spokesman of the nation, IN the in
tereri 81 Justice. indeed, ana as
friend ~ both parties, hut not as
Judge only as the TcpreaentailVr 81
i0N. O00. 900 % men, women and chill
dren who would pay tho price. tire TN
ralrulablc price ~ lose and suffering.
should these few mon insist upon APP
proachinE and concluding tho mat
isrs In controversy between them
merely ~ employers and employees
rather than aH patriotic citizens ~
the United states. looking before and