Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-03-22
STRIKE MEDIATION
COMMITTEE IS IN
SESSION At n. Y.
Final Effort Being Made to Avert
Rail Tieup.
MAY ASK MEN TO DELAY
Board Of Medators Appeals to Men to
Suspend Calling of Walkout Pend
ing Result OF New Efforts to
Be Made at Request of the
President.

President.
New York, March 1.-THE strike
mediation committee. named at the d.
rect request of the president, is in ses-
sion in last-hour effort to avert the
| railroad strike set for tonight.
Secretary of the Interior Franklin
X. Lane was first to arrive from Wash
ingtOn. Secretary Wilson arrived short
ly afterward and with Daniel VIII
| lard of the Baltimore & Ohio road
| and Samuel GOmpers, went Immediate
ly to the conference, where the presf-
| dents views and wishes were to be laid
before rail chiefs and brotherhood
leaders.
May Ask Men to Delay.
1t is intimated that the committee
| may appeal to the latter to suspend the
order calling a strike today pending
| the result of the new mediation efforts
to be made at the direct request of the
president
The brOtherhOods have given no in
| dicatiOn of the spirit in which they will
| receive such Il suggestion and even
the most optimistic regard the situa-
ton with graveSt apprehension.
The Days Developments.
During the day both the railway
heads and brotherhood chiefs were Ser
Guided in separate conferences. The
latter admittedly were working out the
final details of their plans for the strike
ordered to begin today. Railway mana
gers made preparations to feed and
| lodge strike breakers and those mem
| bers of the brOtherhoods who may
ignore the strike order.
The important developments of the
| day, summarized, are:
/. Both rail managers and brother
| hood leaders admitted their willing
| ness to meet the new mediation COM
mittee and the hope solution might
result from its conferences.
2. While neither side gave ERg indi-
cation of weakening, there ap.eared
to be q disposition on the part of both
to meet with alacrity any compromise
suggestion that may be made.
8. New York officials and hotel pro-
prietQrs, fearing a food famine if the
strike becomes effective, are making
arrangements to bring in supplies by
motor and electric suburban lines.
First Points Affected.
The national conference committee
gaev out a list of all the roads they
understand will be affected at once If
| the strike goes into effect. They are
| the New York Central, the Nickel Plate
and the St Louis Terminal together
| with the following roads, all connected
with the Chicago switching district:
AtchisOn, Topeka & Santa Fee, Chi
cagO & Alton, Baltimore 4 Ohio, Chi
cagO & Western Indiana, Chicago Il
Northwestern. Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy, Chicago Junction, Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul, Chicago, Indi-
ana & Louisville, Chicago & Erie, In
diana Harbor Belt, Illinois Central.
New York Central lines west, New
York, Chicago & st. Louis, Pittsburgh,
Fort Wayne q Chicago, Belt Line Rail-
way of Chicago, Wabash and Pitts
burgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & st, Louis.
Make Strike Preparations.
i
Terminal was fitted up by the New
York Central with cots and other facil-
tines for strikebreakerS and men who
do not strike. Other eastern roads are
making similar preparations.
The claim of railway managers that
a large percentage of brotherhood
members will not answer the strike call
was met by the admission from strike
leaders that zone man in twelve, but
no more" may not go out. Direct ap-
peals to the men TO remain at work
have been made by the presidents Of
q number of the roads. The men are
urged to refuse to quit work las a
patriotic duty in the face of the crisis
which cOnfrOnts the country"
Will Fight Extortion
Joseph Hartigan, secretary Of Mayor
Mitchel's food supply committee, sent
letters to the district attorney of the
five counties included in Greater New
York, urging them to employ all the
power at their command to prevent
food and fuel dealers from charging
excessive prices in the event of u
strike. He also arranged with the traf-
fic managers of the railroads entering
the city to supply him daily with list
of the food and fuel trains arriving
here.
The following telegram was sent to
President Wilson by the railroad man.
ayers committee:
"In harmony with the spirit Of your
message, the national conference COM
mittee Of railroads will cooperate with
the committee of the national council
of defense in an earnest effort to avert
the national calamity which would re-
suit from an interruption Of railroad
traffic"