The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-05
CONFERENCEIN
AIR ON LEADER
Promoters of Industrial COun-
ell in Muddle as to First
Procedure.
BROTHERHOODS UNBIDDEN
Railway Workers Await Invi-
tation Which Hines Seeks
for Them.
BROTHERHOODs UNBIDDEN
speciaf Despatch TO THE SUN.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 4.-The industrial
conference called by President Wilson
to consider all phases of the present
Industrial problems of the country will
gather in the Pan-American Building
here Monday afternoon.
The conference will be opened by
Secretary of Labor Wilson. 1t has no
programme, no order of business, no
chairman and no method of procedure.
After his formal welcome and opening
of the conference Mr.. Wilson will step
aside and leave the assembled dele
gates upon their own resources. They
hot only will have to select a presiding
officer, but the conference will have to
reach its own conclusions as to the
subjects to be taken up and actions
| upon them If any.
The list of delegates to the conference
was announced by the Department of
! Labor to-day. 1t did not include any
! representative of the railway brother
hoods, which entered formal protest
| against lack of representation for. the
| great body of railroad workers IN the
brotherhoods who are essential to the
transportation of the country.
| Negotiations to mend this situation
have been in progress for several days.
lDirector-General Hines took a hand in
| the situation. He suggested the names
OF brotherhood representatives, and 1t is
| expected that the situation will be set
tied amicably, that the railway workers
will be invited to the conference and will
accept.
| With President Wilson too Ill to open
the conference there has been much dis
cussion as to who would preside. There
has been much opposition to the giving
Of this Office to the Secretary OF Labor.
because he has espoused labor's cause on
every occasion. The industrial organi-
cations represented make no secret of
the fact that they feel that the man
picked to preside should be strictly nor
partisan.
| As a result, It is more than likely
that the conference will proceed imme-
diately to the choice OF its own chair
man after the delegates are assembled.
Secretary OF the Interior Lane frequently
has been suggested in this connection.
| 1t was Mr.. Lane who first suggested the
conference, and he was instrumental in
having the call Issued by the President
for the gathering. There is little doubt
that he would be acceptable to all the
elements represented.
Should the conference determine upon
one of its own number for chairman,
however, the choice undoubtedly would
have to fall on one of the representatives
Ios the public for obvious reasons. The
public representatives are headed by
Bernard NJ. Baruch, formerly chairman
would have strong support for the place.
A majority of the other public represen-
tatves at the conference will be men
who served with the War Industries
Board or the Council OF National De-
fence.
The Department of Labor to-day an
nounced that Henry S. Dennison OF
birmingham, Mass. had been named as
| a representative OF the general public at
the conference. He succeeds Edwin +.
Gay of Harvard University, who is alb
sent in Europe. Delegates were an
nounced by the National Industrial Con-
ference Board as follows:
Frederick p. Fish and Edward r.
Greene, Boston; ]. w. O'Leary, Chicago
s. Pemberton Hutchinson, Philadelphia,
and l.. F. Loree. president Of the Della
ware and Hudson Railroad.