The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-11-16
WILL NOT STRIKE,
RAIL WAY UNIONS
ASSURE WILSON
Brotherhoods Will Accept
President Settle
ment

Washington, Nov. 16.-That there
will be no railroad strike or any Sc
rious difference between their en-
ployes and the railroads is certain.
President, Wilson has been authorized
| in effect by the representatives of the
| brotherhoods to offer a plan of set
tlement as to wages which the broth
erhood will accept. 1t is understood
that the President will insist that the
men compose their differences by me-
diation and that he is inclined to ia
vor the enactment OF a law for COM
pulsory arbitration of railroad dis
putes during the war period.
The attitude Of the brotherhoods is
satisfactory to the administration, al
| though President Wilson had hoped
that the officials OF the brotherhoods
would go as far as the railroad pres
Idents in agreeing to arbitration as
well as mediation. II became known
| last night that the officials of the
brotherhoods had signed an agree
ment with Judge Chambers of the
Board of Cancellation and Mediation,
conserving to mediation, but rejecting
arbitration. The railroad presidents
on the other hand agreed with Judge
Chambers to abide by arbitration In
the settlement Of wages and all other
disputes which might arise. That the
! brotherhoods should be less disposed
to accept the principle than the rail-
road heads has had the effect upon
the administration of reviving bills
proposed in the last session to govern
this very situation
The brotherhoods, while refusing TO
agree to arbitration in their confer
ence with Judge Chambers at Cleve-
land, did not close the. door to a. set
Element of disputes between them
selves and the railroads. The agree
ment signed by the leaders ends by the
, very optimistic stipulation that they
will agree to suggestions of a plan OF
settlement advanced by President Will
\ son." It is this stipulation that makes
1t certain that there will no strike, as
the brotherhood officials are forced
to agree to a settlement on : terms
brought forward by the President or
,, place themselves in an 1ndefensible
position.
| This agreement IS sustained by WIS.
Stone, grand chief of the Brotherhood
Of Locomotive Engineers; W. S. Car
ter, president of the Locomotive Fire
men and Enginemen; L. E. Shepherd,
senior vice president Of the Order OF
Railroad Conductors, and w. G. Lee,
president Of the Brotherhood Of Rail-
road Ffremen. These men will con-
fer with the President next week, and
this conference is expected to lead to
an offer from the broterhoods for a
settlement which will be entirely sat
isfactory to the railroad presidents.
Two moves are planned in the next
Congress to overcome the situation
now threatened. One provides forsthe
Introduction of a. bill prepared by the
attorney general to give the President
authority to place railroad employees
in military service during the war Pc,
Rod. The other provides for COM
pulsory arbitration of railroad dis
putes.
These bill were prepared at the re.
quest of President Wilson by Attorne;
General Gregory Judge Chambers
and Commissioners Clark Of the Inter
state Commerce Commission In the
opinion Of administration advisers any
unseemly move by the brotherhoods at
this time would furnish the very hes,
argument for their enactment. It is
with a full realization of the strong
position that the administration is in
that the brotherhood chiefs have
agreed to adopt the advice of Presi-
dent Wilson for the settlement