The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-19
Strike Orders Cancelled by Telegraph When Railway Con-
ferees at Early Hour This Morning Tell Mediators
to Take Any Measures They Desire
EIGHT-HOUR DAY AND OVERTIME PAYMENT
ON PRO RATA BASIS WILL BE CONCEDED
Men Fail to Get Time and Half for Overtne-Acton of
Road Heads Comes as Result Of Newest German
American Crisis Developments

New York, March 19.-The confer
early this morning authorized Presi-
dent Wilson's mediators to make
whatever arrangements were neces-
sary with the railroad brotherhoods to
call off the threatened strike.
The formal letter in which this au-
thorizatiop was made. signed by
Elisha Lee, chairman Of the managers
committee was as follows:
IN the national crisis precipitated
by events of which we heard this att
ernoon the national conference COM
mlttee OF railroads joins with you in
the conviction that neither at home
nor abroad should there be fear or
hope that the efficient operation of the
railroads Of the country will be ham,
pered or impaired.
therefore you are authorized to
assure the nation there will be no
strike and as a basis for such assur-
ance we hereby authorize the COM
mlttee of the council Of national de-
Tense to grant to the employees who
are about to strike whatever adjust
ment your committee deems necessary
to guarantee the uninterrupted and
efficient operation Of the railroads as
an Indispensable arm of national de-
fense."
Victory for Men.
The decision reached by the man
ayers at their midnight conference
means that the brotferhoods have won
an important victory, although it does
not bring them all their original de-
mands. BY the agreement it is as
sumed they will be awarded pro rata
time for overtime on the basic eight
hour day which they have been as
sured.
The original demands called for time
and half for overtime on the same
basic day.
The men will get their present nav
Tor 10 hours for eight hours work un-
der the agreement. These concessions
on the part Of the managers are vir-
tually what the employees contended
they would gain under Adamson law,
If 1t were declared constitutional.
Strike Called Off.
Immediately after Secretary Lane
had made his announcement the
brotherhood leaders sent kilograms to
all the general chairman informing
them that the strike had been declared
off.
The announcement of the managers
that they had yielded apparently came
as surprise to the brotherhood chiefs
Tor they were in bed when summoned
again to the conference room.
Earlier in the evening there had
been distinctly pessimistic feeling
as to the prospect for averting the
strike. The railroads had refused to
make the concessions, and the broth
erhoods had stood fast to their de-
termination to strike unless they won
their demands either by the supreme
court declaring the Adamson law valid
or by their employers granting them
the eight-hour day.
Patriotism in Crisis.
Earnest appeals by Secretary Lane
and the others to the patriotism of the |
railroad managers are believed to have
been an important factor in bringing
about settlement The critical situ-
alton in which the country finds itself
because Of the sinking of American
ships by German submarines was i'm
pressed upon them and they were told !
that if strike We're permitted at this |
time 1t would be national calamity !
Similar pressure was brought to bear
upon the brotherhood chiefs.
Whether or not President Wilson |
communicated directly with Secretary
Lane during the night could not be |
learned, but there We're reports that |
the spolSesmen for the mediators had