Show QUICK ACTION URGE BY WHITE HOUSE ON ONI I PROPOSED MEASURE I WASHINGTON Aug 31 Congress put all other affa affairs rs aside today and devoted itself to enacting President Wilsons Wilson's legislative legis program to avert the railroad railroad rail rail- road strike But the president overlooking no possible means to prevent the threat ened public calamity calamity- did not depend on congress alone and continued un his efforts to get the broth brothS order heads to postpone their strike Just before noon the president went to the capitol and conferring with the leaders urged them on pa to the need of speed to get the bills through the legislative machinery of ot house and senate before Saturday night Word was sent to the Interstate Interstate- t cor comI com coin I merce committee committee- that the president wanted to confer with senators senator on hastening hastening hastening has has- the legislative actiOn The committee com corn mitt e authorized Senators Pomerene of ot Ohio and Smith of South Carolina to confer with the Ule president After talking talk talk- i ing ng with the president half an hour they returned to o the hearing The president wants action that's all we wo can say said Senator Pomer- Pomer en ene I 1 cannot believe that there willbe will willbe willbe be a strike I cannot believe that I any set of ot men will vill paralyze the Industry of the country After the senators' senators departure Majority Majority Ma Ma- Leader Kitchin Representative I Adamson and Postmaster General Burleson went Into conference with the president v PRESIDENT SMILES I I have Just been keeping In tou h with things to see that they keep moving and they are are- moving said President ent Wilson a as alt he left the CO cop con copfer fer terence ference nce with congressional leaders The presidents president's face beamed with a a. broad smile Chairman Adamson of the interstate commerce committee said satel We will pass the hour eight-hour bill bill introduced today in the house tomor tomor- row That will include the provision for tor an investigation to the effect of ot the hour eight day on the railroads That we believe will prevent th the strike Tho The president received assurances that action would be taken tomorrow by the house on a measure which will include the hour eight-hour day a commission commis commis- sion aba of or investigation an increase in the tho membership of the interstate com corn merce commission and a provision for tor the military operation of the railroads While the assurances given on the attitude of the senate were not so nite the president was told that the tha prospects were bright for action on at least part of ot the program The portions of the presidents president's rec ree- providing for tor a bill sim aim liar ilar to the Canadian n industrial I disI disputes dis dis- dis- dis I act for making arbitral awards court records and for empowering the tha interstate commerce commission to grant freight rate increases if necessary necessary sary are to be taken up separately THINKS BILL WILL PASS Majority Leader Kitchin who also conferred with the president said he thought the hour eight-hour bill with some soma modification could be put through the house before Saturday hight night with out encountering serious opposition from the tho Republican side Mr Kitchin directed that the house hour eight bill should be carefully revised revised re re- and submitted to the tho brotherhoods brother brother- hoods for approval and assurances that It satisfies them before It passed is Then returning to the White House he called tho the four brotherhood heads before him for another to delay th strike while appeal by law provides what the congress railroads railroads' have refused Although the brotherhood leaders reiterated that only a favorable settlement set set- could delay the tho strike and that they were powerless to postpone it one of them admitted he lie believed the rank and file of the men in view ot of the efforts being made in congress Continued on page 2 A I President t Optimistic on Favorable Strike ACTION URGED I Ii i BY WILSON ON MEASURE i Continued from page 1 could vote to delay it if there was Ime for them to express their wishes Back of it all President Wilson was holding another card card card-a a direct appeal o the rank and file of the railroad nen to realize that congress asks is about 0 give tl them what they they ask and to stay tay at their posts The president was still determined oday to do this if necessary but was would that it would not be While the senate interstate commerce com merce nerce committee was hearing the leads heads of railroads and the brother brother- lood leaders the house managers got Into nto action and agreed on a bill bilI introduced introduced introduced in in- by Representative Adamson and approved by President Wilson l I providing the hour eight-hour day pro rata i commission to pay ay for overtime and a Investigate the new conditions They planned fanned to rush it through while the I senate enate was working It did not include the compulsory I investigation measure of the preM- preM presidents president's dents dent's program but there were indications indications indications indi indi- that ho he would be satisfied with enough to prevent the men from striking and tak take up the remainder lat later ater r. r Meanwhile employers and men had hada I a public hearing on the presidents president's legiSlatiVe program before the senate I Interstate commerce committee The Themen Themen Themen men opposed the compulsory investigation investigation gation feature and the employers opI opposed op- op I I posed the hour eight-hour day I After the conference between theand the I president and the brotherhood leaders I it ewas was said said att at the the White kite House that t the had given no assurances assurances assur assur- r ances of any kind Later formal announcement was made that the tho president and the senate senate sen sen- ate ato and house leaders had agreed on I the Adamson bill as a compromise bill bUl I It make violation of its provisions a aI I misdemeanor punishable by from ito 1 to 1000 fine or not exceeding one years year's imprisonment or both The Then I I n labor leaders insisted on having a aI I penalty penally attached A special rule will t j bring the bill up for direct action by byi i the house It would make the eight eight- I hour day effective December 1 f In spite spite- of ot the fact that the leads lead- lead I s II ers era gave no assurances it is certain I that the strike would be called of off I immediately i if congress passed the I 1 hour eight-hour law which will willbe be taken UP In the house tomorrow The brotherhood brother brother- brother hood leaders are reluctant to take I steps to cancel the strike order until congress has acted I President Wilson told the leaders he ho was doing everything possible to havo have congress legislate to meet the situation and that it was their duty i as American citizens to postpone or cancel the strike order pending its ita action ac ac- i tion I IThe The president was said to have used some strong language in talking talking talk talk- ing to the labor leaders President Wilson plans to spend practically all of tomorrow forenoon at the capitol in constant touch with the legislative situation Tomorrows Tomorrow's cabinet meeting has been canceled to allow him to give his entire attention attention attention atten atten- tion to the efforts to avert the strike |