The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-16

engineers were against the strike
while the young men, those who had
had no experience in such matters,
voted almost to a man for strike. This.
of course, was because the older men
had some doubts about the result but
the younger men none at all. They
could not see how it would be posi-
bic for the roads to run or resist the
pressure that would be brought to
bear by the business interests of the
country The older men knew of the
Debs strike and the Burlington trou-
BILE and recognized the danger. 1
venture to say that if these younger
men had really known how near they
were to loss of position the vote would
not have been what it was.
Both Sides to Washington.
The result of the strike vote was
given to our committee. This made
no change in our attitude on the mail-
questions but we met the report of
the men with a request that we join
in a request for mediation by the
board constituted by law for that pur-
pose. The men refused and we then
asked that board to intervene. We
made the proposition that We would
submit all the questions to arbitra-
ton The men refused Finally botn
sides were called to Washington and
the president told each what he pro-
posed Our committee replied that
we felt that the proposal was not for
an eight hour day but was an increase
in wages and this not to slight ex-
tent but to an amount totalling for the
nation at least S60.000,000 and that
we felt that such an increase should
not be granted, without an investiga-
ton by competent authority. For your
information our figures indicated for
the Santa F'e an increase of 1900, 600.
the original demands with time and a
half for overtime. amounting to 81
100000. 1t is true that the men
claimed this estimate entirely too
large. We had based our figures on
results reached by applying the pro-
posed basis of pay to the time tickets
for an entire month. We desired to
show the figures to some properly con-
stituted body and let that body decide
as to the correctness of same But the
president having obtained the con-,
sent of The men to his proposal de-
clined to take the answer of the COM
mittee as final and sent for the presi-
dents of all the large roads in the
/ country.
Fifty Executives Present.
The same proposition was presented
to about fifty executives who came in
response to the request For an en-
tire week these executives held the
proposition under consideration. 1t
was discussed in all its aspects. Ger
tain suggestions contained in the re-
+
over further with him and the result
vas that at the end of the week the
opinion was absolutely unanimous
that We could not comply with the de-
mand. At the beginning of the week
opinions were very diverse. some
thinking that while compliance meant
ruin there was no other course to pur-
I sue. However, at the end of the de-
alterations the opinion was unanimous
and the night the final answer to
4 President Wilson was signed was a
solemn occasion. Fifty men, having
/ largest transportation systems of the
/ country, knowing that their action
would probably mean the loss of mil
| lions to their properties. which In
many cases meant financial ruin
/ these men walked up, signed that doc
ument feeling that it was the only
thing that could be done. As one ex-
pressed it, Il see ruin to my road if
L do one thing and 1 see ruin if 1 do
/ the other-I will do what [ know TO
be right" And what was this answer ?
| While it did reject the presidents pro-
/ posal it made counter proposition
/ viz. that a commission could be APP
pointed by the president to investi-
gate the whole question and that the
| roads would abide by the findings OF
| such a commission and make the
findings effective as of September L
1 Could anything be fairer2
! Before the answer was delivered to
j the president the men decided on the
day for a strike and most of them left
! Washington They did this without
consulting the president and he learn.
ed of their action thru US.
Where the Santa Fe Stands.
i You know the balance of the story
and I need not review it here The
/ railroads asked only for some tribuna
before which they could present theil
case and if the decision was agains
them they were willing to abide by tn,
result But the men relying on fore,
i demanded com pliance without investi
cation. You would have thought that