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Show RAILROAO MEN PLANJTRIKES Satisfactory Agreement on Eight-hour Question Must Be Reached Before Saturday. PROPOSED PROGRAM Eastern Freight Service Trainmen Train-men to Be Called Out First Wednesday All Roads. NEW YORK, March 13 Information Informa-tion received by th national confer-I confer-I ence committee, composed of managers mana-gers of tho great railway systems, and j made public today indicates that the I four employes' brotherhoods have com-1 com-1 pleted arrangements for a progressive series of strikes to begin at 6 o'clock, eastern time, on Saturday night, if the conference on the eight-hour eight-hour question held here Thursday fails to reach a satisfactory agreement. The proposed strike program, according ac-cording to this information, la as follows fol-lows : "Saturday, 6 p. in., call out all trainmen train-men in freight service on the New York Central, Baltimore and Ohio, Erie, Atlantic Coast Line. Southern railway, Louisville and Nashville and Seaboard Air line Such an order would involve 40.000 men. "Monday, March 19. 6 p. m., call out the freight trainmen on the Lehigh Valley, Lackawanna, Jersey Central, Pennsylvania, Long Island Maine Central, Cen-tral, Delaware and Hudson. Reading. in A oil liVicT- i-rv'.rlo in lw cMilkr.ice em territory or extending to New York. "Tuesrlav, March 20, 6 p. m.. call out all the freight trainmen in the northwestern north-western group, including the Hill roads and all those centering at Chicago "Wednesday, March 21. 6 p. m., If the railroads still refuse to grant the men's terms, they will extend the strike to other freight trainmen and call out the passenger trainmen on every ev-ery road in the country." President Is Notified. The railroad brotherhoods on March 7 wrote to President Wilson, it became known today, formally notifying no-tifying him of the conference with the railroad representatives scheduled for March 15. In this letter the brotherhood brother-hood leaders declared thev were "hopeful of making a satisfactory adjustment ad-justment of questions pending with the railroads." Loyal to Nation. Tho Brotherhood representatives also al-so informed President Wilson that if, while they were negotiating with thp railroads the nation became involved in war. they would co-operate to the fullest extent with the government. It was stated that there was little ot a definite character that the govern ment could do until the outcome of the meeting In New York Thursday i? known. Secretary Wilson Gives Orders. At the direction of President Wll son, Secretary Wilson of the depart ment of labor will keep in close touch with the conference in New York on ' Thursday and should it fail the gov eminent will then consider further steps Government officials regarded it as Inconceivable that there should be a nation-wide railroad strike at this time and while no plans have been mapped out it was generally taken for granted that the president will use his utmost efforts to prevent such a strike. Letter to President. The letter of the brotherhood representatives rep-resentatives to Prosident Wilson fol- lows : "We feel obligated to officially ad I vise you of our intention to meet again i the national conference committee ol the railways on March 15th for the I purpose of making another effort to I adjust the pending eight-hour controversy. contro-versy. We are cry hopeful of working out a satisfactory' adjustment with tho railroads but, If. while we are negotiating, nego-tiating, our country should become involved in-volved In war, we want to assure you, as chief executive of the nation, that we and the membership we represent can be relied upon to support vou to the fullest extent and that youneli and the nation will have our hearty and full support." CHICAGO, Mar. 13 Tho wheat market today opened nervous and excited ex-cited on the railroad strike situation, i Following yesterday's six cent decline prices were off an additional cent. May wheat which closed yesterday at $1.80 3-8 to $180 1-8 ranged at the opening from $1.79 7-8 to $1.794. |