Denver labor bulletin., 1916-08-19
RAILROAD HEADS
ARE HOLDING OUT
President Wilson Insists on
8-Hour Day
Has Summoned Railroad Presidents
to Washington to Hear His
Ultimatum; Situation Is
Growing Serious

The executives of seventeen railroads
have been summoned to Washington by
President Wilson. The situation in the
railroad controversy is hourly growing
more serious and unless the President
finds way to get the two sides togeth-
er a strike is inevitable.
President Wilson has endorsed the
major demands of the railroad brother
hoods and will ask the presidents of the
seventeen railroad systems to accept the
proposed compromise in order to avert
general strike. The Presidents com
promise proposal, which is acceptable to
the brotherhood leaders, is:
The railroads shall grant their en-
ployes the eighthour day at the same
pay as Is now given for ten-hour day.
Employees working more than eight
hours shall be paid for the overtime at
the eight-hOur rate
The railroads shall drop their counter
demands involving a readjustment OF all
existing working agreements.
Congress shall create and the Presi-
dent shall appoint a special commission
to determine whether the railroads can
afford to pay time and half compen-
sation for overtime, or only pro rata or
ctllAt hAAA1lLAAN ~ " etAI llleet LNO cA-
tremes.
In the practical working out of the
agreement, If accepted by the parties to
the controversy, it is proposed merely
to substitute eight hours for ten hours,
in all agreements between the railroads
and the brotherhoods concerning pay and
hours of labor.
Conference at White House
At conference in the east room of
the White House Thursday afternoon,
with the 6+0 brotherhood chairmen of
the 225 railroad systems Mr.. Wilson
submitted this proposed basis for an
agreement between the carriers and the
men threatening to plunge the country
into 4 general strike such as it never
has experienced.
The President went thru the form of
proposing the compromiseJ and asking
the trainmen to accept it as the most
feasible practical method of obtaining a
part of the concessions demanded, of OBJ
tanning serious consideration of their
other demands, and of averting a nation
al calamity.
While the railroad conference commit
tee OF managers were making 4 last
ditch stand for arbitration of the DIS
pute, the representatives OF the men
were giving their first public explanation
OF their reason for rejecting arbitration.
Why Men Won't Arbitrate.
in l9lS,' said one OF the brotherhood
officials. the conductors and trainmen
east OF the Mississippi had dispute
with the carriers, and allowed it to go
to arbitration. An award which the men
thought satisfactory was returned. But
the administration of that award was
entirely in the hands of the carriers, and
they interpreted it to their own liking.
In 1915, when the engineers and firemen
west of the Mississippi were demanding
better conditions, they consented TO ar
bitration. The result WAS the same.
Until there is some governmental au-
thority to compel the carriers TO carry
out an arbitration award arbitration viii
never be resorted to by the men again.
We are not against arbitration as
principle. but against the railroads
method of putting into effect the awards
OF the arbitrators.'
The proposal contained nothing not
known TO the brotherhood leaders in ad-
vance, for it originated with them. They
had advised the President that the COM
promise he outlined constitutes max
imum concessions.