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Show oo WORK HOMING INCONGRESS Legislators Speed Up on Measures Meas-ures to Prevent Threatened Railway Strike. PRESIDENT HOPEFUL Telegrams From All Sections Pour in Declaring Embargoes Embar-goes on Perishables. Washington. Aug. 30 Congress went to work under pressure today to prevent by legislation the railway strike called for next Monday. It was assured that, even if mcas-: ures proposed by President Wilson in I his address to congress yesterday eanj not be passed in the five days remaining, re-maining, thej will be effective In forestalling the walkout. In general, brotherhood leaders in-, tended to fight the legislative program pro-gram and railroad managements expected ex-pected to support it. but both sides laids plans for a strike as if its coming com-ing was beyond all doubt. President Hope9 to Win. President Wilson still hoped the brotherhood leaders now in Washington Washing-ton would find some means of rescinding res-cinding the strike order which they maintain has gone beyond their jurisdiction. jur-isdiction. There was no unanimity of opinion among them as to whether the stmm-s'.rd measure to forbid a strike pending investigation by a public pub-lic commission, if passed and made effective before next Monday, could apply validly to the present situation. Hallway executives believed, however, how-ever, that the legislation advocated would force a suspension of action, possibly only by the pressure of public pub-lic opinion. Government Machinery Humming. While government machinery was humming with strike plans, there poured in from all sections of the country reports that railroads were declaring embargoes on perishable stuff, refusing to accept freight wlih guarantee of prompt delivery and warning against passenger travel extending ex-tending past 7 a. DO Monday, the hour set for the strike. These reports re-ports gave a hint of tho rigors which might be expected from a general strike. As a sequel to the conference in Speaker Clark's office at the capitol last night between the president and congressional leaders of both parties, the leaders planned another meeting for early today to map out a course. Arrangements were also made for a meeting of the senate interstate commerce com-merce committee, for it was in tho' upper house that strike legislation was to be threshed out first. Members Not Fully Agreed. Members of congress were not fully agreed on methods, but they were reported re-ported as in entire accord with the purpose to prevent in some way the threatened tie-up. Some measures to be agreed upon probably would be at tached to the bill pending in the senate sen-ate to increase the membership of tho Interstate Commerce commission from seven to nine. The eight-hour day law for inter-stale inter-stale railway traffic suggested by the president is not entirely agreeable to the brotherhoods for they want with the eight-hour day ten hours' pay and congress has no authority to prescribe pre-scribe wages. The employes expect the principal fight against this to be made by the railroads, however. The proposal for investigation by a presidential commission is welcomed welcom-ed by the railroads, but not by the nn n The suggestion that congress empower em-power the Interstate Commerce commission com-mission to grant higher rates as recompense re-compense for higher wages, is frowned frown-ed upon by the railroads on the ground that shippers would object and their good will would be lost. Violent Objections of Brotherhoods. The most violent objections of the brotherhoods is to the proposed law for investigation of future labor dis-, putes and the prohibition of strikes or lockouts during the Investigation. Railroad executives favor this measure. meas-ure. .Many legislators believe the president's presi-dent's recommendation of a law authorizing au-thorizing government operation of certain railroads for military reasons Is superfluous; they insist that the other action contemplated will forestall fore-stall the strike of itself. |
