Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1917-03-23
RAILROAD STRIKE
IS DECLARED OFF
LABOR DISPUTE is SETTLED
AFTER A LONG SERIES
OF CONFERENCES. 4
EIGHT-HOUR DAY GRANTED
Roads and Brotherhoods Make Pact
Which Will Not Be Affected BY
Supreme Court Decision on
AdamSon Law.

New York, March 19.-The railroad
strike has been called off. Franklin
X. Lane, head of the presidents COM
mission on mediation, after confer
ences all day with the railroad heads
and the railroad brotherhoods chiefs
made that announcement at an early
hour Monday morning.
The reason for the joint action Of
the railroad managers and the brother
hood chiefs was the existence of the
present international crisis. The ac-
ton was taken in response to Presi-
dent Wilson's appeal to their patriot
ism.
Mr.. Lane said:
Regardless of the decision of the
supreme court on the Adamson law
the basic eight-hour day will go into
effect. The details are being worked
upon now by a joint committee, which
will have its negotiations concluded
today"
This settlement was considered a
sweeping victory for the unions. They
get the basic eight-hour day, their
chief contention, regardless of the de-
cision of the supreme court on the
constitutionality of the Adamson law.
forty-eight hour truce between the
four railroad brotherhoods and the
railroads had been declared here late
on Saturday, thus averting the great
progressive" strike that was to have
begun at 7 o'clock Saturday night, w.
G.. Lee, chief of the trainmen and
spokesman for the brotherhood chiefs.
asserted that he believed an amicable
settlement of all the differences would
be reached by Monday.
This was taken to mean that the eff
forts of the presidents committee of
mediators representing the council or
national defense not only had been
successful in hating the strike, but
that with the resumption of conferen-
ces on Sunday and Monday the whole
situation probably would be cleared
and the country again assured of nor
nal transportation conditions.
1.-THE optimism of the brotherhood
chief, however, was not shared by the
railroad managers. While no state
ment was forthcoming from them it
was asserted that the settlement of
the differences was entirely contingent
upon a decision on Monday by the
Supreme court favorable to the Adam
son law. In that event, it was under
stood they agreed that they would ac-
cept the application of the law on the
basis of ten hours pay for eight hours
work, with pro rata pay for overtime.
mo other concessions were made
and the question as to what turn the
situation would take in the event OF
a decision Monday or of a decision de-
claring the Adamson law unconstitu-
tional, remained to be determined, ac-
cording to an official in close touch
with the managers.
Mr.. Lees reasSuring statement came
after he was informed that many MEM
bers of the four brOtherhoods in Ohio,
West Virginia, Pennsylvania and lll1-
nois. failing to receive word of the
postponement of the strike, actually
had quit work Saturday night. He said
he was not surprised at this, inasmuch
as there was so little time-lesS than
three hours-in which to communi-
cate with the men.
'That should be sufficient proof OF
the fact that we were not talking idly
when we said all our members would
obey the strike order" said Mr.. Lee.
1--WE knew they would-every one Of
them"
1t was agreed with the railroads, he
added, that in the event of the men
falling to receive word of the change
in the situation and going on strike,
the roads should not attempt to dis
cipline them in any way. Mr.. Lee
said he was confident that those who
had left their places would have re-
turned to work by midnight.
The decision late on Saturday to
postpone the strike for forty-eight
hours was reached only after three of
the presidents mediators - Secretary
of the Interior Lane, Secretary of La
Dor Wilson and Daniel Willard-had
labored necessarily since early Fri
day night with the four brotherhood
chiefs and the conference committee
of railroad managers.