The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-14
Demands to Be Placed Be-
fore Railroad Conference
Committee Tomorrow.
ADAMSON LAW STILL
UNDECIDED BY.COURT
Men Thought to BE Ready to
Aid Government if War
Is Declared.

Washington, March l3.-Compiete
plans of the four railroad brotherhoods
for a nationwide strike to be inaug-
urated next Saturday evening unless
the railroads grant their eight hour
day demands. We're ratified here today
by local union leaders from south
eastern territory. and by a similar
conference of representatives OF the
southwest held at st. Louis.
The brotherhood heads will tell tho
railroad conference committee in New
York Thursday that it an agreement
Is not reached this week for tho estab-
lishment of an eight-h hour basic day
with time and a half for overtime.
strike orders already issued to local
organizations will become effective.
The demands are just what they were
last fall when President Wilson avert.
ed a strike after the call was out by
inducing congress to pass the ADAM
son law. which never has been put
into effect, pending n decision on It's
constitutionality by the supreme
court
President to Move.
There is every indication that the
president is prepared to move again IL
1t becomes apparent that the nation,
facing tl1t gravest International crisis
of its history, is about to have It's
transportation facilities paralyzed. AL
though still confined to his bed by u
cold, the president heard reports dur
ing the day from Secretary lansing
on the plans OF the Drotherhoods.
There was no statement as to what
action he was contemplating, but II In
understood to be proha bic that his
first step may be an appeal to tho
employers and employees to reach an
agreement as 4 patriotic duty.
Cooperate in War.
II became Known during the day that
on March the brotherhood chiefs
wrote to the president advising him Of
the meeting to be held with the rail-
road committee March Is and assur-
ing him that If the country should be-
come involved in war, they would CO.
operate with the government In every
possible way
The southeastern unien officials
were told by the brotherhood chiefs
that the strike orders had been ar
ranged so as to have the walkouy be-
gin on certain group of roads at 7
y. m. eastern standard time) Satur-
day. and gradually extend to all roads
in the country by the next Wednes-
day,
Progressive Strike.
Each "A hours until Wednesday n
new group would be affected. This
progressive system. the union men
say, was adopted to avoid paralyzlne
traffic suddenly throughout the entire
country and to give railroads a chance
to stop the strikes spread by meeting
the union demands.
While the brotherhood leaders would
not talk for publication about their
strike arrangements. they declared all
plans had been given unanimous an
proval by the sectional meetings so
far held and that similar action was
certain to be taken by the meetings in
New York and St paul tomorrow.
Statement Issued.
After today's session here the fol-
lowing statement signed by w. S.
Stone of the engineers, w. G. Lee of
the trainmen. w. S. Carter Of the fire
men and enginemen, and l.. T. Shep-
pard, acting president of the conduc
tors, was given out:
"The proposition submitted at to-
days meeting by the chief executives
was unanimously, indorsed by the va
rious general committees, thus author
Continued on Page Six.)