Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1916 — Oppose Wilson Plan To End Rail Row. [ARTICLE]

Oppose Wilson Plan To End Rail Row.

President Wilson Wednesday completed a plan by which he hoped to put an end to the threatened railroad strike, which will be submitted to representatives of the managers and employes today. Although administration officials said negotiations would be continued until a peaceful solution was found, the outcome of the president’s o mediation is expected to depend largely on the two sides toward the plan he has drawn up. The proposition framed by the president following conferences’ with the managers and employes since Monday morning, proposes that the railways should concede the eighthour work day, with an agreement that will be proposed that a federal commission, appointed by the president or created by congress, investigate all problems which have arisen during the present discussion.

The chief obstacles in the way of the acceptance of the plan lies in the insistence of the railroad managers on arbitration and their opposition to an eight-hour day and in the demand of the employes for extra pay of time and a half for overtime. Whether the two sides will give in on these points constitutes the chief danger in” the situation Wednesday night. {The general committee of the employes, including 640 representatives of the trainmen and engineers on the 225 railroad systems of the country, arrived in Washington Wednesday night in response to a summons of their sub-committee which had been meeting with the president. The men, although refraining from discussing the plan of the president, said they thought the outlook encouraging for a settlement.