Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-01
HEARING ON WILSON,
PLAN IS HELD BEFORE
Sc MA TE COMMITTEE
GaretSOn, GOmperS and Lee
Speak for BrotherhoodSr
Outlining Their Position in
Present Crisis
nv Assooiated Prasa.l

my ASsoCiAteo EreSSsJ
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31.-Ralroad Of
ficials and representatives of the train
mems brotherhoods appeared in force
today at the senate interstate commerce
committees hearings on President Will
sons legislative program to prevent the
threatened railroad strike.
Elisha Lee, chairman of the managers
committee, headed the delegation of rail-
way officials, which included President
Underwood. of the Erie; President Will
lard, of the Baltimore and Ohio; Samuel
Rea. president of the Pennsylvania; Fair
fax Harrison, president of the Southern;
r. H. Lovett, chairman of the board of
Union Pacific: E. H. Coapman, vice
president of the Southern; n. d. Maher,
vice president of the Norfolk and West
ern: L. w. Baldwin, general manager
of the Central of Georgia, and w. L.
Siddon, vice president of the Seaboard.
Representing the men were A. B. Gar
retson, w. @. Lee, w. S. Stone and ". S.
Carter, the four brotherhood heads. Of
ficials Of the American Federation of
Labor headed by President Gompers;
Assistant Attorney General Todd and e.
E. Clark. of the interstate commerce
also were pISS6hl
NO COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.
At the outset Senator Newlands,
chairman of the committee. announced
it's purpose and said none or the pro-
posed legislation involved compulsory
arbitration.
TT simply provides" he said, "in case
of the failure of voluntary mediation
and arbitration. for a government in
quiry and the stay of the action OF all
81. he
vestigation and report should be made,
leaving them free thereafter to act as
they might lie advised"
Senator NewiaEds spoke of the short
time remaining for congress to act and
said:
"This present dispute, if carried to-
its extremes. will involve the United
States I'm a civil war The question is
whether we can not find some means
of bringing about a settlement of this
dispute between employers and and en-
ployes without resort to force"
BROTHERHOODS HEARD FIRST.
The brotherhood representatives werel
heard first. At the request of Mr.. Gar
-etson, it was agreed that the brother
hood leaders should have two hours inl
opening and an hour in closing. Be
tween those two periods, representa-
tives Of the employers and shipper
sides the heads of the four brother
hoods, Samuel Gompers also would
speak.
Mr. Garretson began with a general
review of the circumstances which ledl
up to the present conditions.
1t was the belief of labor organiza-
tions he said. that differences betweenl
employers and employees should not be-
settled by legislation, but rather be-
tween themselves.
1.-THE strike of any labor organization
lies, to an extent, in its militancy" heI
said 1--WE are in the grip of a power
greater than we, and il is unfortunate
that this situation has arisen, but II
believe IL a settlement can be Effected
by congress. even though we are OPP
posed to legislative settlements, we areI
willing to waive the age-old traditionl
against It, Such a settlement in this
controversy will be desirable in the cir
cumstances.
LAS an ethical proposition" he sail,
there is no more reason why a man
should be worked more than eight hours
than there is that he should be worked
"a. In the application of principal a diff
ferent situation arises.
Today" he said, thousands of men
throughout this country are working
from IL to 16 hours OF which there is no
complete record
WANDERERS OF THE EARTH.
These conditions, Gar-etsCn declared,
were responsible for the united appear
ance of the brotherhoods insistently de-
manding the human right to enjoy some
of the things that other men enjoy The
railroad men, he said are wanderers on
the face of the earth.
I'VE believe" said Garretson, that
questions affecting society take prece-
deuce over economics. We believe that
| the human element should be considered
regardless of it's effect on dividends. The
obligation on the part of the railroad
employer is as great to keep the human
element in good condition as the wooden
and iron property of the road. Human.
| ity is just as much a part Of the system
as the engine or the lathe"
Mr.. Garretson argued that the effect
of an increased wage on dividends
should not be considered when it was Of
vious that employees were not being pail
proper wage.
"A bankrupt road cannot buy it's coal
any cheaper than one that is paying 33
| per cent. then why should any road buy
/ it's labor for less than II is worth be-
cause a proper wage would decrease it's
profits?"
Attacking the railways plea for ar
bitration insincere. Mr.. Garretson in.
sisted that il was not offered to men
who were so poorly organized that they
could not enforce demands.
Il say on behalf of these railroad
men," Garretson declared emphaticaily.
| that there is evidence today of a
deadly danger underlying the social
crust and that it is liable to be brought
to the surface unless means are found
to settle this difficulty before II can
reach the danger stage"
He declared frequently that the
brotherhood officials could only call of
the strike by reporting that a satisfac-
tory settlement had been made.