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Show STRIKE SITUATION BEFORE CONGRESS PRESIDENT ADDRESSES JOINT SESSION IN ENDEAVOR TO j PREVENT WALKOUT. Favors an Eight-Hour Day for the Men, and the Appointment of a Body of Men to Observe the Actual Results. Washinton. President Wilson addressed ad-dressed a joint session of congress on August 29, in an effort to get leigisla-tion leigisla-tion that would prevent the threatened threat-ened railroad strike, called for 7 a. m., September 4. In his address the president admitted admit-ted he had failed to bring about an amicable solution of the controversy. President Wilson consumed just twenty-one minutes in delivering his address. He recommended: Enlargement and administrative reorganization re-organization of the interstate commerce com-merce commission. An eight-hour day for all railroad employees engaged in operating trains in interstate traffic. A congressional 'Committee to study results of the application of the eight-hour eight-hour day to railroad operation alike for the men and for the roads. An instruction from congress to the interstate commerce commission to consider just what increase in freight rates the railroads would be entitled to, if any, due to the eight-hour day. An amendment of the federal mediation, media-tion, conciliation and additional laws to provide for a full public investigation investiga-tion before a strike or lockout may be lawfully attempted. Granting the president power in case of military necessity to seize and operate such portions of the railway as may be required for military uses; to draft into the military service such train crews and administrative officials offi-cials as circumstances may require. At his conference with leaders of the house at the capitol Tuesday night President Wilson was urged by his party lieutenants to abandon all but his first two propositions to congress and let the others go over until the next session. Representatives Kitchin and Adam-son Adam-son appeared to think that if the president got one-half of his program within a few days he would obtain very satisfactory results. With the enlargement of the commission and the establishment of an eight-hour day, house leaders believe the strike will toe averted. The impression the president had concerning the ability and willingness of the senate to rush through his program astonished the Democratic house leaders, who, following fol-lowing the president's address, gave voice to their opinion that there would be weeks of debate in the senate if the whole program were pushed. Although negotiations between the employers and men were broken off Tuesday by the rejection of the railway rail-way presidents' latest proposal for arbitration, President Wilson is continuing con-tinuing his efforts to bring the two sides together on some form of agreement. agree-ment. When the brotherhood leaders on Tuesday rejected the latest proposal to the railroads and definitely set the strike for Labor day without further notice, President Wilson decided to lay the whole situation before congress. con-gress. Immediately after the president had delivered his recommendations, con- gress set about to see how they might be enacted into law. President Wilson expressed his earnest ear-nest hope that the brotherhoods would yield to his request that, pending pend-ing action by congress, they rescind their strike order. He asked the leaders lead-ers to do so at. their conferenc Monday Mon-day night, but they declined, saying they had not the power. President Wilson takes the position that in view of his recommendation to congress con-gress the brotherhoods have nothing to gain and much to lose if they carry out their strike order, because he believes be-lieves under such circumstances public pub-lic opinion will stand against them. |