Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-03-15
Managers Express Conf dence That Patriotism Will
 Prevent Strike Now.
MEN DETERMINED TO
 SECURE 8-HOUR DAY
w. G. Lee of Trainmen Declares That BrOtherhOOdS Are United in De- termination to Enforce Com.
 plinnce With Uuitimatum.

New York, March 14.--An appeal to the patriotism of the nen of the four great railroad brotherhoods to re- frain from any rash movement which would bring industrial warfare in the present international crisis was made here tonight Ly the nation- al conference committee of railways on the eve of the conference tomor- row with the chiefs of the trainmen's organizations. There were additional indications however, that the brother- hoods were determined to call strike unless their demands were granted.
 After meeting here with several general chairmen and chairmen of locals and brotherhood organizations on lines entering New York, w. G. Lee, president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainment, announced that unanimous support had been voted the brotherhood chiefs in the de- mands they intend to make at the conference tomorrow These de- mands, he said, would be based on the modified demands of last Sep tember, calling for 2 basic eight hour work-day and pro rata rate of pay for overtime This is virtually what the Adamson law would give the men, if put into force, he said. The original program of the men, the refusal of which resulted in the call of a strike last September, which was averted by the passage of the Adam son act, included an eight-hour basic day, with time and-a-half for over- time. MT. Lee intimated there was no intention of going back to the original demands. He admitted that recent forecasts of progressive countrywide strike. beginning Satur- day night at o'clock, unless the railroads accede to the ultimatum of their employees "were written by a good guesser."
 Denies Breach of Faith.
 Charges that We are acting in bad faith in bringing up this question at this time without waiting for a de- cision of the supreme court on the Adamson act are baseless," he de- clared. "We were not parties to the agreement entered into between the attorneys for the railroads and the representatives of the attorney-gen- erals office to do nothing until the decision is handed down. Our posi- tiOn is the same as if there were no Adamson law, and no decision pend- ing. Whether the decision is for pr against the law, our demands, which we shall present tomorrow, will be unaltered. If the law is upheld, it will give us what we will ask for to- morrow; if it is thrown out, we still will stand pat and take no less than the AdamsOn law would have given us.
 "We four brotherhood chiefs, thru these recent meetings with our men now feel that we have the united backing of our men behind us in this. We want to get this question of the eight-hour day settled, and settled quickly. The reason for our seeming haste at this time in forcing the is- sue is that the country may be Tn war in a few weeks or months, and we believe this ought to be settled before that comes."
 The Railroads Side.
 The statement of the national con- ference committee, signed by Elisha Lee, the chairman, said:
 "We are sincerely desirous that the wages and working conditions of our employees should be on the highest plane consistent with the efficient operation of the railroads. When the national wage demands of the four train brotherhoods were made last year, we felt they were beyond rea- son, entailing as they did an annual increase of $1OO,00O,OO0, or about 36 per cent in wages of 100000 of the most highly-paid workers in the country. But we were ready and anxious to submit this wage contro- versy for settlement to some inn partial public tribunal. Our of- fers for peaceful settlement were re- jected by the brotherhood chiefs" "We left every door open for far determination of the merits of the controversy" says the statement. "and every door is still open" The statement reviews the negotia- tions, charges the brotherhoods with rviolating the agreement to do noth- Continued on page six.)