Arizona republican., 1917-11-23
DISPELS
 STRIKE
 CLOUDS
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

Republican A. p. Leased Wire1
 WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.-Possibil- ity of immediate suspension of railway transportation as a result of the four brOtherhoods' proposed wage demands was removed and progress toward ami rable adjustment of any wage contrO- Nersies during the war was made to- day at a conference between President Wilson. the four brotherhood heads and members of the federal mediation board.
 As a result of the conference the brotherhoods are left free to present and urge their new demands upon the carriers under a virtual agreement with the president to avoid a strike or other cause of d transportation tie-up until after full discussion and consid eration.
 A definite issue in the wage negotia- Uons. it was assured, could not be reSched before the first of the year as the demands will not be presented until December l. Future developments will depend, first, upon the carriers dis position of the new uemands, and sec ond, in event of a deadlock, upon fur ther negotiations agreed to at today's meeting at the White House.
 Cryptic statesments were issued by
 
 chiefs after the two hour conference, in which the president announced that the brotherhood heads agree. in case Of any critical situation of controversy to consider any proposed solution in a spirit of accommodation and patriotic purpose" The brother hood statement was in similar vein, de- Claring willingness to discuss and consider any solution If a situation should arise which threatens .he Interruption of transportation.
 What attitude the railroads would assume as a result of today's confer rnce was not made known Several lays ago, through the railroads war board, they agreed in the event of a crisis to place their interests in the hands of the president for such disposi- lion as he should deem best in the pub lie interest. The board was in session much of the day, but adjourned before the result of the White House confer ence became known.
 The brotherhoods' demands for wage increases affect 400, 900 operatives and involve increased expenses to the roads aggregating about $109,000.000 annual ly- Should the representatives of the roads and the brotherhoods be unable 10 agree, the situation will be placed in the hands of the government under today's agreement and the roads de- Cision to leave their interests to the presidents disposition
 Soon after the close of today's con ference the heads of the railroad broth erhoods issued this statement;
 Attending the conference were w. G. Lee. president of the Brotherhood of Railway Traihmen; Warren S Stone, grand chief of the Brotherhood of Lo- ccnotive engineers; A. B. Garretson, president of the Order of Railway Con- ductors; W. s. Carter, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Bremen and Enginemen. and Judge William L. Chambers and Martin $. Knapp of the United States board of mediation and sonciliation
 Satisfaction with the outcome of the conference was expressed by both the Brotherhoods and federal board mem- berss who declined, however, to ado anything to the formal statements.
 Necessity for avoiding transportation paralysis. both from war and domestic considerations, was emphasized by President Wilson. He also was said tC have laid stress on patriotic considera- tions. picturing the dire consequences in the war from serious transportation difficulties. While expressing sym pathy with conditions facing the rail road operatives with the rising cost ot living largely resultant from the wal the president was understood to have urged as a patriotic duty, that every possible step be taken in any emer- gency to avoid transportation diff culties.
 Mir. Garretson, for the brotherhoods was said to have assured the presiden of the patriotic resires of the brother hood members, but as a means of eff ficient railroad operation strongly pre- sented the necessity for higher wagt standards, both as a relief to the work men and their families and insurins employment of experienced, competen train operatives. He pointed out tha many men had left railroad employ ment because of more attractive wage
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