Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-08-25
Tentative Plan Evolved by
Committee Considered
Today.
EIGHT-HOUR DAY PLAN
Proposal, Provides for Increased
Freight Rates to Recompepse the
ID Railroads.

washing IoHp auS.s co. ODJeSeio'AS
which developed last night at meet
ing Of railroad presidents and mana
gers to points in the tentative plan
evolved by the committee of eight
presidents considering ways to avoid
the threatened general strike, resulted
in a further postponement of final
action. The conference adjourned to
meet again today and, as one presl-
dent phrased it, the situation is such
that at may be settled in l26 minutes
or the matter may 60 over until next
week"
The special committees plan, draft
ed,after weeks consideration, would
provide for granting an s-hour
"hasic" day to the trainmen, but with
assurance that every effort would be
made by the Administration to secure
a freight rate Increase td recon-
pense the roads, and further assur-
ance that Congress would be asked to
enact legislation to insure settlement
of future labor disputes through an
Investigating commission.
The entire plan has not been laid
before all the executives and mana
gers, but its points have been discuss
ed at the various conferences. It de-.
veloped after last nights meeting that
objection had been raised to the
freight rate increase feature on al
least two grounds, 1t was argued by
some that there could be no assur-
ance of a rate increase, because no
on could say what the Interstate Com
merce Commission might do. and that
some of the most important shippers
of the country already had made it
plain that they were not in sympathy
with any move which might mean
rate increase. 1t was pointed out also
that although President Wilson had
expressed his belief that such a rate
increase should be grantediif the g.
hour day were given the employees no
enc could tell how, the next election
was coming out, .apdfthatithere could
be by no possibility an increase be-
fore next March, or probably later.
Attention was called, too, to the
fact that the commission hitherto had
held that it could consider wage stan
dards in dealing with proposed rate
increases, although legislation by
Congress might remove that difficulty.
The principal arguments against
the idea of permanent commission
for the prevention or settlement of
strikes were that it would almost GER
tainly be fought by labor in Congress,
and that while President Wilson might
be entirely willing now to back such
legislation he might not bein posi-
ton to do so when it was proposed.
Representatives of the brotherhoods
who heard of this phase of the plan
were plainly against it. A counter
suggestion was heard among the
presidents that strike questions should
be left to the Interstate Commerce
Commission with power to investigate
and make public report of it's find
ings with the strike held in abeyance
pending the investigation.
The special committees plan has
been tentatively accepted by the COM
mittee of eight and it was the subject
of todsy's conference at the White
House. Its substance was communi.
Gated to the labor representatives
through Judge William L. Chambers
OF the Board of Mediation and Con.
citation.