New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-02
Wilson Forces Legislation.
but Cancellation Will
Be lis Keynote
Union HEADS SURE
THEY HAVE WON POINT
Feared Measure Compel
inc Arbitration Would
Rob Them of Power

BON me lrlNIne h-IeA..
r..h,,rton. Jan. There viii he
r,ilrosd legislation with teeth IN
,bi, session Of Congress. This
~, h. stated with The utmost posi-
.r,,e,s There is a strong probability
.t,. some soy, or railroad legislation
nav be written on the statute hooks,
I'M, % will be. as one Senator cN-
-resscd +, tonight. an act "under the
.o,or.f, title OF government conoilia-
.,,, which viii be as utterly meaning
loss as f. can possibly be made without
ssuotirr i.s hypocrisy TOO openly be
fore tho rub.e.'
rsa. tr-rc viii nc some sort o. leg
..ia.o- is Indicated by The activity Of
Pre- den. Wilson, who has apparently
.talcp hrs coat of" in behalf Of the
recommendations he made in his ad-
6-e.s before Congress on December 8,
when he urged the completion Of the
rrozramme he asked last August.
This application OF the pulmotor to
The evidently dead recommendations
however. will not restore the full yigor
and life these recommendations pos
ses,od last August. II anything at
-U goes through Congress there as
sur..Ir viii he no real measure OF
compulsory Investigation OF disputes
between Interstate railroads and their
cmr'oyce Nothing that resembles in
cFc.. the Canadian or any other gov
crnucni arbitration plans Will be en-
acted the organized labor forces
haze seem to that. and the visit OF the
Pro .6cnt fo thc Capitol on Saturday
Ia NOT changed that situation.
Labor seeks a Substitute
Was learned to-day. however that
There had been considerable comforting
bel. cen representatives OF organized
.sh.. and agents Of the Administration
Etr "a Wow 10 drawing up some form
o' b.lL as a substitute for the Pres
d,r' s. recommendation. which would
seem fo be carrying through the pro
-rarmc. but which would actually not
interfere n the slightest with the
wishes of organized labor.
Tho big four brotherhoods and tho
american Federation Of Labor are now
rornc hand In hand 10 keep the Fed
era government of their backs. They
rea. 7e The danger TO their present
strategic position ~ 10 should be made
mp9.s 'blc for Them TO threaten not
oni. The railroads but the country with
.lct menace as they used with telling
rarc 'a-l summer. Some Of the keener
g .|1r
.ta would Cow from the oft repeated
comment made bv Administration leud-
rr. opposition Senators and Repre-
sc'.sfives and in the press all over the
country that such a threat must be
made imposs bic in the future.
Even a. they eagerly accepted the
AdsnSon so-calIed eicht-hour law they
realized that the fight was not over,
Cha they would have been much bet
ter Of # trcv could have coerced the
railroads into granting them a smaller
measure Of what they asked and az the
same tine have avoided the injection
~ government control. carrying with il
The des Of compulsory investigation at
least and also tho right of Congress 70
TX wages
Railroad Men Confident
Now they are face 10 face with the
dangers 70 the power of their organiza-
tons growing out Of the fact that the
controversy was taken TO Congress and
made a subject Of lawmaking They
have made a hard fight and they are
confident that they have won the sec
end round Of the battle. They believe,
and slmost every responsible person in
Washington believes. that they have
Filled all idea Of compulsory investiga-
lion a. Icss. for This session OF Con
cress
The point was 90 save the face Of the
Administration. which had urged last