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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1916)
THE BEE: OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30 1916. STRIKE ORDER FOR BROTHERHOOD MEN Text of Instructions Delivered to Railroad Trainmen to Govern Their Action. BAN PUT UPON VIOLENCE Washington, Aug. 29, Following is the strike order issued to members of the four railra brotherhoods, fixing Labor day, Monday, September 4, as the tentativ. date for the walkout of the 400,000 trainmen. The strike order is brief. It is addressed to all mem bers of the four brotherhoods, is 'signed by the various general chair ' men, and reads as follows: . "Sirs and 3rothers: This is to advise that the vote of the em . ployes in train and engine service on the eight-hour day and time and one-half overtime proposition ; was overwhelmingly in favor of a strike. "Notwithstanding this, your representatives have been unable to effect a satisfactory settlement and a strike, under the laws of the respective organizations be comes effective on September 4, 1916, at 7 a. m. "Impart this information, so those interested will understand 5 that they are to promptly obey." ' Oh a separate sheet the duties of , members and officers in the conduct of a strike are set forth. Particular f emphasis is placed on -conducting the proposed strike as peacefully as pos , sible. Among the duties of members ' set forth are these: "No man in road service in volved in the strike will perform ; any service after the hour set to strike unless he has already begun a trip and has actually left the i , terminal If the train has left the j .-terminal ha will complete the ! trip and deliver the engine and i ' train at the end of the run or tie ) up point, if he tied up under the 1 law, after which he will perform no further service until the close : ' of the strike. Men in other than ,. road service will leave the service . i at the appointed time. , "So far as your legal right to strike is concerned, there is no J difference between a mail train ; ' ' and a freight train. You have . identically the same right to re ' fuse to perform service on a mail j train as you have to refuse to - perform service on a freight train. , "All men on trike wi'l keep away from the company's prop erty, except such men as are I 5TC - designated certain duties to be '."'? performed by the authority of the ; organiiationa. "v.!-: livery man should understand ' mat tne laws 01 ine iana must oe , obeyed. Acts of violence of any nature will not be tolerated by t'' the organizations." 1 PRESIDENT PUTS RAIL STRIKE UP ; TO LAWMAKERS (Cratlaaes frwa Pit Owl . f, troversy failed, and the means of ar ;' bitration, for which the law provides, - Were rejected. The representatives of the railway executives proposed 'that ! the demands of the men be submitted 'I in their entirety to arbitration, along ':'fi with certain questions of readjust ';: ment as to pay and conditions of era !JJ ployment, which seemed to them to : be either closely associated with the . demands or to call for reconsideration K on their own merits. -!i , Strike Becomes Imminent. "Jt "The men absolutely declined ar . bitration, especially if any of- their '" established privileges were by that : means to be drawn again in question. , The law in the matter put no compul sion upon them. The 400,000 men i from whom the demands proceeded had voted to strike if their demands were refused; the strike was immi - nent. It has since been set for Sep- tember 4 next. It affects the men V who man the freight trains on practi- I cany every railway in the country. rThe freight service throughout the -United States must stand still until " their places are filled, if, indeed, it ' should prove possible to fill them at all. Cities will be cut off from their 'food supplies, the whole commerce of l-jtha nation will be paralyzed, men of . -leverv sort and occuoation will he - thrown out of employment, countless thousands will, in all likelihood, be .brought, it may be, to the very point ' of starvation, and a tragical national . calamity, brought on, to be added to the other distresses of the time, be cause no basis of accommodation or -,. settlement baa been iound. Effort at Mediation. ..' "lust so soon as it became evident . that mediation under the existing law had failed and that arbitration had been rendered impossible ty the atti tude of the men, I considered it my i -duty to confer with the representa tives of both the railways and the -brotherhoods, and myself offer medi tation, not as an arbitrator, but merely (as spokesman of the nation, in the in terest oi justice, indeed, and as a ,jriena oi pom parties, but not as .jude, only as the representative of 100,000,000 men, women and children who would pay the price, the incalcu .'able once, of loss and suffering ''should these few men insist uoon an. reproaching and concluding the matters .;Ui controversy between them merely Sas employers and employes, rather . than as patrotic citizens of the United .nStates looking before and after and '.' accepting the larger responsibility .rwhich the public would put upon ( litem. ;ii Eight-Hour Day Logical. 1 "It seemed to me, in considering ;:the subject matter of the controversy, i'that the whole spirit of the time and li'the preponderant evidence of recent economic exoerience aooke for th by the thought and experience of re : cent years a thing upon which society is justified is insisting as in the inter est of health, efficiency, contentment rand a general increase of economic -vigor. The whole presumption of ''modern experience would, it seemed A to me, be in its favor, whether there jwss arbitration br not and the debat able points to settle were those which arose out of the acceptance of the 'eight-hour day tattler than those i which affected its establishment. I, therefore, proposed that the eight- hour day be adopted by the railway managements and put into practice for the present as a substitute for the existing ten-hour basis oi pay and service; that I should appoint, with the permission of congress, a small commission to observe the results of the change, carefully studying the figures of the altered operating costs, not only, but also the conditions of labor under which the men worked, and the operation of their existing agreements with the railroads, with instructions to report the facts as they found them to congress at the earliest possible day, but without recommendation; and that after the facts had been thus disclosed, adjust ment should in some orderly manner be sought of all the matters now left unadjusted between the railroad man agers and the men.. Cites Opinion of Court. "These proposals were exactly in line, it is interesting to note, with the position taken bv the suoreme court of the United States when ap pealed to to protect certain litigants trom the financial losses which thev confidently expected if they should submit to the regulation of their charges and of their methods of serv ice by public legislation. The court has held that it would not undertake to form a judgment upon forecasts, but could base its action onlv uoon actual experience; that it must be supplied with facts, not with calcula tions and opinions, however scientifi cally attempted. To undertake to ar bitrate tne question ot the adoption of an eight-hour day in the light of results merely estimated and predict ed would be to undertake an enter prise of conjecture. No wise man could undertake it, or if he did under take it could feel assured of his con clusions. "I unhestitatingly offered the friendly services to the railway man agers to see to it that justice was done the railroads in the outcome. I felt warranted in assuring them no obstacle of law would be suffered to stand in the way of their increasing their revenues to meet the expenses resulting from the change so far as the development of their business and of their administrative efficiency did not prove adequate to meet them. The public and the representatives of the public, I felt justified in assuring them, were disposed to see nothing but justice in such cases and were willing to serve those who serve them. Brotherhoods Accept Plan. Representatives of the brother hoods accepted the olan. but the rep resentatives of the railroads declined to accent it. In the face of what 1 cannot but regard as the practical cer tainty that they will be ultimately nhlised to accent the eisht-hour day nv tne concertea action oi oritsiiizcu labor, backed by the favorable judg ment of society, the representatives of the railway managements have felt justified In declining a peaceful settle ment which would engage all the forc es of justice, public and private, on their aide to take care of the event Thev fear the hostile influence of ship pers, who would be opposed to an in crease of freight rates (for which, however, of course, the public itself would pay); they apparently feel no confidence that the Interstate Com merce commission could withstand the objections that would be made. . I ftey do not care to rely upon, the friendly assurances -of the congress or the president; they have, thought It best that tney snouia oe torcca io xiciu, if they must yeild, not by counsel, but by the suffering of the country. While mv conferences with them werein progress, and when, to all outward ap pearances these conferences had come to a standstill, the representatives of the brotherhoods suddenly acted and set the strike for September 4. "The railway managers based their decision to reject my counsel in this matter unon their conviction that they must, at any cost to tnemseives. or to the country, stand firm for the princi ple of arbitration, wmcn tne men nan reiected. I based my counsel upon the indisputable fact that there was no means of obtaining arbitration. The law supplied none; earnest efforts at mediation had failed to influence the men in the least. To stand firm for the principle of arbitration ana yet not get arbitration seemea to me iu tile, and something more than futile, because it involved incaicuiaDie ois tress to the country, and consequences some respects worse tnan tnose of war. and that in the, midst of peace."' ' x Arbitration Not Practicable Now. "1 vield to no man' in firm adher ence, alike of conviction and of pur pose, to the principle of arbitration in inausiriai uibjuic, uui ,ji,,:i come to a sudden crisis in this par ticular dispute and the country has been caught unprovided with any practicable means of enforcing that conviction in practice (by those fault we will not now stop to inquire. A situation had to be met whose ele ments and fixed conditions were in disputable. The practical and patri otic course to pursue, as it seemed to me, was to secure Immediate peace by conceding the one thing in the de mands of the men, which society itself and any arbitrators who rep resented public sentiment were most likely to approve, and Immediately lay the foundations for securing arbi tration with regard to everything else involved. The event has confirmed that judgment. I was seeking to compose the present in order to safe guard the future; for I wished an atmosphere of peace and friendly co operation in which to take counsel with the representatives of the nation with regard to the best means for providing, so far as it might prove possible to provide, against the re currence of such unhappy situations in the future the best and most prac ticable means of securing calm and fair arbitration of all industrial dis putes in the days to come. This is assuredly the best way of indicating a principle, namely, having failed to make certain of ita observance in the present to make certain of its observ ance in the future. But I could only propose. I could not govern the will of others, who took an entirely dif ferent view of the circumstances of the case, who even refused to admit the circumstances to be what they have turned out to be. Recommends Legislation. "Having failed to bring the parties to this critical controversy to an ac commodation, therefore, I turn to vou. deeming it clearly our duty, as public servants, to leave nothing un done that we can do to safeguard the life and interests ot the nation. In the spirit of such a purpose I earnestly recommend the following legislation: "First, immediate provision for the enlargement and administrative re- organization of the Interstate Com merce commission along the lines em bodied in the bill recently passed by the house of representatives and now awaiting action by the senate; in or der that the commission may be ena bled to deal with the many great and various duties now devolving upon it with a promptness and thoroughness which are, with its present constitu tion and means of action, practically impossible. "Second, the establishment of an eight-hour day as the legal basis alike of work and wages in the employment of all railroad employes, who are ac tually engaged in the work of opera ting trains in interstate transportation. "Third, the authorization of the ap pointment by the president of a small body ol men to observe the actual results in experience of the adoption of the eiglit-hour day in railway trans portation alike for the men and for the railroads, its effects in the matter of operating costs, in the application of the existing practices and agree ments to the new conditions and in all other practical aspects, with the provision that the investigators shall report their conclusions to the con gress at the earliest possible date, but without recommendation as to legisla tive action, in order that the public may learn from an unprejudiced source just wnai aciuu, i.w.wiupmenU have ensued. Higher Freight Rates. "Fourth, explicit approval by the congress of the consideration by the Interstate Commerce commission of an increase of freight rates to meet such additional expenditures by the railroads as may have been rendered necessary by the adoption of the eight-hour day, and which have not been offset by administrative read justments and economies, should the facts disclosed justify the increase. Fifth, an amendment of the exist ing federal stateute which provides for the mediation, conciliation and arbi tration of such controversies as the present by adding to it a provision that in case the methods of accom modation now provided for you should fail, a full public investigation of the merits of every such dispute shall be instituted and completed be fore a strike or lockout may lawfully be attempted. And, sixth, the lodgment in the hands of the executive of the power, in case of military necessity, to take control of such portions and such rolling stock of the railways of the. country as may be required for mili tary use, and to operate them for military purposes, with authority to draft into the military iervice of the United States such train crews and administrative officials as the circum stances require for their -safe and efficient use. National Defense Important. "This last auggestion I make be cause we cannot in any circumstances suffer the nation to be hampered in the essential matter of national de fense. - At the present moment cir cumstances render this duty particu larly obvious. Almost the entire mili tary, force of the nation is stationed upon the Mexican border to guard our territory against hostile raids. It must oe suppuea ana steaauy sup plied, with whatever it needs for its maintenance and efficiency. If it should be necessary for purposes of national defense to transfer any por tion of it upon short notice to some other part of the country, for reasons now unforeseen, ample means of transportation must be available and available without delay. The power conferred in this matter should be carefully and explicitly limited to cases of military necessities, but in all such cases it should be made clear and ample., "There is one other thing we should do if we are true champions of arbi tration. We should make all arbi tral awards, judgments by record of court of law, in order that their in terpretation and enforcement may lie, not with one of the parties to the ar bitration, but with an impartial and authoritative tribunal. "These" things I urge upon you, not in haste, nor merely as a means of meeting a present emergency, but as permanent and necessary additions to the law of the land, suggested, indeed, by circumstancea we had hoped never to see, but imperative as well as just, if such emergencies are to be prevent ed in the future. I feel that no ex tended argument is needed to com AT RAYMOND'S Three Days Remain of our AUGUST SALE These are three days very important to you if there's a single piece of house furnishing you need, or if you have a whole house to furnish. These three days will be the "Round up" of a month of furniture selling and value giving that has proven a genuine money saving event to the many who have kept us so busy from the day our sale began. Make good on these three remaining days. They are passing. They spell YOUR OPPORTUNITY ISrVlSIS Will Save You Money SCHOOLS AKD COI.I.R1KH. Turpin's School of Dancing. First beginner's class, Monday, September 11th, 8 p. m. First advanced class, Tuesday, September 12, 8 p. m. Applications re ceived now, Harney 6143. Private lessons any time. 28th and Far nam Sts. ' First High School class starts September 30th, 8 p. m. Children's class begins Saturday, October 7th, 2:80 p. m. mend them to your favorable consid eration. They demonstrate them selves. The time and the occasion only emphasize their importance. We need them now, and we shall continue to need them." To Meet the Leaders. President Wilson will tonight discuss the legislative program to meet the strike situation with Speaker Clark, Democratic Leader Kitchen, Repub lican Leader Mann and Chairman Adamson of the interstate commerce committee. The committee of twenty-four brotherhood leaders met sodn after hearing the presiden" address con gress. They declined to make any comment. Arrangements were made for all of the committee except the four brotherhood heads to leave for their homes in order that they may be among their men if the strike order goes into effect. There was approval from both sides of the joint session at sugges tions from the president of legisla tion to prevent strikes or lockouts pending investigation. The entire assemblage arose when the president concluded, after speak ing twenty-three minutes. There were several rousing cheers as he left the chamber. Throughout the address the expres sions of approval came mainly from the democratic side, republicans sit ting and listening in silence. The two houses then returned to separate regular sessions. The sen ate interstate commerce committee met immediately to consider bills al ready framed to carry out the presi dent s suggestions and in the house leaders discussed the probable action while awaiting developments. It was impossible to get a quorum at the meeting of the senate commit tee and it was postponed until tomor row morning, when consideration- of legislation suggested in President Wilson's message will be undertaken. RAIL HEADS REJECT WILSON'S PROPOSAL (Continued Prom Pnae On.) of millions of dollars, in the integ rity and solvency of the railroads of the country, we cannot in con science surrender without a hearing the principle involved nor undertake to transfer the enormous cost that will result to the transportation of the commerce of the country. Ultimate Cost Enormous. "Thp i-in-ht-hour dav without puni tive overtime Involves an annual in crease approximating in the aggre gate $60,000,000, and an increase of more than 20 per cent in the pay of men. already the most highly paid in the transportation service. The ultimate cost to the railroads of an irimicilnn in this manner of the prin ciple under contention cannot now he estimated; the effect upon the effi ciency of the transportation of the country, now already under severe test under the tide of business now mnvinir and at a time when more instead of less effort is required at public welfare, would be harmful be yond calculation. "The widespread effect upon the in dustries Of the country, as. a whole is beyqnd measure or appraisement at this time, and we agree with the insistent and widespread public con cert over the gravity of the situation and the consequences of a surrender bv the railroads in this emergency. "In like manner we are deeply im pressed with the sense of our respon sibilitv to maintain and keep open the arteries of transportation which carry the life blood of the commerce of the country and of the consequences that will flow from even a temporary in terruption of service over the rail roads, but the issues presented have been raised above and beyond the so cial and monetary questions involved, and the responsibility for the conse quences that may arise will rest upon those that provoke it. "The questions involved are, in our respectful judgment, eminently suit able for the calm investigation and decision bv the public through the agency of fair arbitration, and can not be disposed of to the public satis faction in any other manner. The de cision of a. commission or a board HOWARD st ThofttAlfeason SCHOOLS A XT) COIXTCBS. of arbitration having the public con fidence will be accepted by the public and the social and financial rear rangements made necessary thereby will be undertaken by the public, but in no less deliberate nor orderly man ner. "The railroads of the country can not, under present conditions, assume this enormous increase in their ex penses. If imposed uoon them, it would involve many in early financial embarrassment and bankruptcy and imperil the power ot all to maintain their credit and the integrity of their securities. The immediate increase in cost followed by other increases that would be inevitable, would substan tially influence the present purchasing power of the railroads and disable them from extending and improving their facilities and eauioment. to keeD abreast-of the demands of the country tor etncient transportation service. Counter Proposals Made. "For these reasons we are with re gret unable to accept the suggestion made by the president of the Unite i States. "We propose, however, as a basis of settlement the following: A the railroads will, effective September 1, 1916, keep the time of all men represented in this movement upon an eight-hour basis and by sep arate account, monthly, with each man, maintain a record of the differ ence between the money actually earned by him on the present basis and the amount that would have been earned upon an eight-hour basis overtime on each basis to be computed pro rata. The amount so shown will be subject to the decision of the com mission provided for in paragraph C of this memorandum and payable in money as may be directed by said commission ill its findings and de cision." ' "(b) The Interstate Commerce commission to supervise the keeping of these accounts and report the in creased cost of the eight-hour basic day, after such period of actual ac ceptance as their judgment approves, or the president may affix, not, how ever, less than three months. (c) In view of the far-reaching consequences of the decision made by the president, accepting the eight- hour day, not only upon the railroads and the classes of labor involved di rectly in this controversy, but to the public, and upon all industry, it seems plain that before the existing condi tions are changed the whole subject in so far as it effects the railroads and their employes should be investi gated and determined by a commis sion to be appointed by the president, of such standing as to compel atten tion and respect to it's findings. The judgment of such a commision would be a helpful basis tor adjustments with labor and such legislation as in telligent public opinion, so informed, might demand. Will Accept Findings. The railroads will accept the find ings of such a commission upon the issue of an eight-hour basis of pay, as well as upon any other matters now in controversy that may be sub mitted to it by either party. the commission should consist ot not less than five members and should also be authorized to hear and de termine all questions that may arise .l - f: if r in tne application oi ine unaings oi said commission or in the working out of such plan as it may propose. "The presidents of the railroads are prepared to continue negotiations on the subject with genuine anxiety, within the limits above expressed, to find solution to the question." OMAHA IS READY TO FACE STRIKE OF RAILROAD MEN Continued from Faro One) self indefinitely without the aid of rail transportation, so far as food is con cerned. Meat might cost a little more, but the supply would not run out." W. H. Yohe, president and general manager of the Updike Milling com pany, said: "There is enough grain stored right in Omaha now to make flour to run the city a couple of years, if we could get it switched to the mills. Of course, in an extreme emer gency, it could be hauled in wagons, and so the town is really well supplied so far as grain and flour is concerned. Omaha, South Omaha and Council Bluffs consume about 20,000 barrels of flour a mpnth." Douglas county has onty twenty five tons of coal in the basement of the court house. It requires 300 tons every month during the winter to heat the building. L. V. Nicholas, 'president of the THOMPSON-BttDEN 6CQ! : Tlxa fasrion Gnfer of fte fiddle Wei -UaUbhedl8& Twos Company three's a crowd unless number three is Always welcomed by any company for its brightness and charm. Delicious and refreshing. Demand the genuine by full name nicknames encourage substitution. The Coca-Cola Co. Atlanta, Ga 5m! for h ooUt "Tht Rrnnam of Coco-Cola" Virlinlac Oil rnmnativ sait fl had a supply of gasoline to last his trade for two months. "I do not believe the strike wili last thirty days at the very longest.'' was his opinion. Plenty of Milk. ' Treasurer Dyball of the Alamiti' Dairy company believes a railroad strike would effect the butter supply more than milk and cream. "Most of the dairy products are brought into Omaha by train, although much milk is transported by auto trucks. If rail transportation should be cut off I suppose there would be an in creased use of motor vehicles to near by points, assuming there would be enough gasoline for the motor ve hicles," said Mr. Dyball. Mr. Dyball does not care to spn ulate much on the effects of the pros pective railroad tie-up. Plenty of Gas. "We are in good shape,'1 said Superintedent Taylor of the Omaha Gas company, when asked regarding the possible effect of a general rail way strike upon the gas company's operations. "We have enough coal and coke for at least four or five months'. As for the oil we use in the manufacture of gas. we have a sufficient supply on hand to last about sixty days. After that in an emer gency we could use coal oil if nec essary, and I know where I can get a considerable supply of that." New Suits, Coats Dresses &: Skirts For Autumn, 1916 A wide range of attractive fabrics. Styles that are authentic and distinctive. Prices moderate. Apparel Section, Second Floor. I T