French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-03-22
R. r. YIELD TO BROTHERHOoDs,
DEMANDS-sTRIKE CALLED OFF
Presidents MediatOrs Authorized by
r. RS to Make Whatever Arrange
ments Necessary to Avert Strike.

New, York, March. 19.-The confer
ence committee of railroad managers
early this morning authorized Presi-
dent Wilson's mediators to make
whatever arrangements were neces-
sary with the railroad brotherhoods to
call off the threatened strike.
The formal letter in which this au-
thorization was made, signed by Eli
sha Lee, chairamn of the managers
| committee, was a sfollows:
"In the national crisis precipitated
by events of which we heard this af-
ternoon, the national conference COM
mittee of railroads joins with you in
| the conviction that neither at home
nor abroad should there be fear or
hope that the efficient operation of the
railroads of this country will be ham
pered or impaired.
Therefore you are authorized to-
assure the nation there will be no
strike, and as a basis for such assur-
ance we hereby authorize the COM
mittee of the Council of National De-
Tense to grant to the employees who
are about to strike whatever adjust
cent your committee deems necessary
to guarantee the, uninterrupted and
efficient operation of the railroads as
an indispensable arm of national de-
fense." ;-~an
The decision reached by the mana
gers at their midnight conference
means that the brotherhoods have
won an important victory, although it
does not bring them all their original
| 1onoondC DIV tho orrn0roon@ - ic
assumed they will be awarded pro
rata time 70 rovertime on the basic
eight-hour day which they have been
! assured.
Their original demands called for
time and a half for overtime on the
same basic day.
Immediately after Secretary Lane
had made his advancement the broth
erhood leaders sent kilograms to ali
the general chairmen informing trem
that the strike had been declared off.
The men will get their present pay
for ten hours for eight hours work
under the agreement. The conces-
siOns on the part of the managers are
virtually what the employees contend
ed they would gain under the Adam
son Law if it were declared constitu-
tiOnal.
The announcement of the managers
that they had yielded apparently came
as a surprise to the brotherhood
chiefs, for they were in bed when
summoned again to the conference
room. Earlier in the evening there
had been a distinctly pessimistic feel
ing as to the prospect for averting q
strike. Up to that hour the railroads
had refused to make the concessions
franted n the brotherhoods had
stood fast unless they won their de-
mands either by the Supreme court
declaring the Adamson law valid or
by their employers granting them the
eight-hour day.
Earnest appeals by Secretary Lane
and the other mediators to the patri-
Otism of the railroad managers are be-
l1eVed to have been an important fac
tor in bringing about a settlement.
The critical situation in which the
country finds itself because Of the
sinking of American ships by German
submarines was impressed upon them
and they were told that if a strike
were permitted at this time it would
be a national calamity. Similar pres
sure was brought to bear upon the
brotherhood chiefs.
Whether or not President Wilson
communicated directly with Secre-
tary Lane during the night could no
be learned but therewere reports that
the spokesman for the mediators had
been informed by the president that
paralysis of the nations ~transporta-
ton system must be prevented at all
costs.
he first intimation that the strike
was to be called off was given to the
Associated Press by an official of the
conference committee of railroad
managers soon after the letter au-
thOrizing whatever concessions might
be necessity had been sent to the me-
diatOrs.
1t was an hour and a half later
that Secretary Lane made this formal
statement:
Regardless of the decision of the
Supreme court on the Adamson law
the basic eight-hour day law will go
into effect"
It had been necessary in the mean
time to awaken the brotherhood chiefs
and summon them from their W no.
tel to that at which the conference
was held.