representing said member. All yea-and-nay votes shall be fully recorded and published in the proceedings. An affirmitive vote of two-thirds shall be necessary to carry the approval of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America upon any proposition or resolution which may appear upon the official program or be added thereto, as provided for by these by-laws: Provided, however, That such a vote shall be void and of no effect unless the attendance at the meeting shall represent one-third of the voting strength of the chamber from at least 20 States. SEC. 9 (general provisions). (1) If on the first submission of a question less than one-third of the votes cast favor the proposal it shall not be advanced for second consideration in the form of a pamphlet, except with the approval of the board of directors: Provided, however, That upon petition of the proposing member with the indorsement of 10 additional organization members from as many States the board of directors shall order second consideration of the question my mail. If it shall fail to receive one-third of the votes cast on original submission as hereinbefore provided for, the board of directors may, however, place it upon the program for discussion at the annual meeting. (2) The list of questions to be considered at each annual meeting shall be mailed to each member at least 30 days in advance of such meeting. (3) No pamphlet prepared for second consideration as above set forth shall be mailed to the members of the chamber less than 40 days before the annual meeting. (4) No question shall be received from an organization member for submission to the chamber by mail, or at the annual meeting within 40 days of the date of said annual meeting, unless by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors. (5) If any organization member shall refrain from expressing opinion on a question submitted by mail, and said question having failed of passage is referred to the annual meeting, said member shall not be entitled to the privilege of the floor for the purpose of debating said question, except by a threefourths vote of the delegates present. (6) If a question has been submitted by mail and the time for registration of votes respecting it has not expired before notice of the annual meeting is sent out, it shall be considered as a pending question, and shall go upon the program for action at the annual meeting. (7) On a question submitted to referendum no organization member found to have voted with the minority shall be deemed to impair its standing in this chamber by adhering to its position or by continuing its efforts in support thereof. [Ballot (To be detached).] CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, l'o the SECRETARY: Your organization, as a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, is requested to register its vote upon the questions submitted herewith on this ballot, which is to be detached and sent by registered mail at the earliest date practicable to the general secretary at the national headquarters, Riggs Building, Washington, D. C. This referendum is taken for the instruction and guidance of the board of directors in its action upon the questions presented. By order of the board of directors. ELIOT H. GOODWIN, This ballot will be counted only if received at national headquarters, Riggs Building, Washington, D. C., on or before January 30, 1917. (See By-laws, art. 10, on inside of cover.) To the GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1916. SIR: The Riggs Building, Washington, D. C. is a member in good standing in (Name of organization.) the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, and having a total membership of is entitled to be recorded as noted below. votes. It desires these votes to 1. Shall existing law be so amended or supplemented as to require full public investigation of the merits of every dispute between railroad carriers of interstate commerce and their employees, to be instituted and completed before any steps tending to the interruption of transportation shall be attempted? (See p. 4.) In favor. Opposed. 2. Shall existing law be so amended or supplemented as to provide that upon any board of investigation or arbitration of disputes between railroad carriers of interstate commerce and their employees, the employers and employees shall have equal representation, and the public, as having paramount interest, shall have a majority representation? (See p. 4.) In favor. Opposed. 3. Should Congress establish a permanent statistical division under the Interstate Commerce Commission to study and compile statistics relating to wages and conditions of service upon railways, the records and services of this division to be immediately available to boards of investigation or arbitration considering disputes between railways and their employees? (See p. 4.) Attest: In favor. Opposed. (Signature of president or secretary.) [Duplicate ballot (not to be detached).] CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, To the SECRETARY: Your organization, as a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, is requested to register its vote upon the questions submitted herewith on this ballot, which is to be detached and sent by registered mail at the earliest date practicable to the general secretary at the national headquarters, Riggs Building, Washington, D. C. This referendum is taken for the instruction and guidance of the board of directors in its action upon the questions presented. By order of the board of directors. ELIOT H. GOODWIN, This ballot will be counted only if received at national headquarters, Riggs. Building, Washington, D. C., on or before January 30, 1917. (See By-laws, art.. 10, on inside of cover.) To the GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SIR: The Riggs Building, Washington, D. C. (Name of organization.) 1916. is a member in good standing in the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, and having a total membership of votes. It desires these votes to is entitled to be recorded as noted above: 1. Shall existing law be so amended or supplemented as to require full public investigation of the merits of every dispute between railroad carriers of inter state commerce and their employees, to be instituted and completed before any steps teuding to the interruption of transportation shall be attempted? p. 4.) (See In favor. Opposed. 2. Shall existing law be so amended or supplemented as to provide that upon any board of investigation or arbitration of disputes between railroad carriers of interstate commerce and their employees, the employers and employees shall have equal representation, and the public, as having paramount interest, shall have a majority representation? (See p. 4.) In favor. Opposed. 3. Should Congress establish a permanent statistical division under the Interstate Commerce Commission to study and compile statistics relating to wages and conditions of service upon railways, the records and services of this division to be immediately available to boards of investigation or arbitration considering disputes between railways and their employees? (See p. 4.) In favor. Opposed. Attest: (Signature of president or secretary.) [Explanation.-In order to inform the members as fully as practicable on the subject submitted to referendum a carefully selected committee is appointed to analyze each question and report its conclusions. The purpose of the referendum is to ascertain the opinion of the commercial organizations of the country, not to secure the approval of the recommendations voiced in the report. The board of directors in authorizing submission of a report to referendum neither approves the report nor dissents from it. Only the vote of the member organizations can commit the Chamber of Commerce of the United States for or against any of the recommendations submitted by the committee and until such vote is taken the report rests solely upon the authority of those who have signed it.] REFERENDUM ON THE REPORT OF THE RAILROAD COMMITTEE ON THE PREVENTION OF STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS. Statement of question.-Taking early cognizance of the grave possibilities of differences between the railways and their train-service employees, the board of directors of the national chamber formulated resolutions and presented them to the national council of the chamber, meeting in Washington on February 7, 1916. The national council in turn presented resolutions to the chamber's fourth annual meeting, in session at Washington, February 8-10, 1916, and the annual meeting adopted resolutions, as follows: Whereas it has come to the attention of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America that grave differences are impending between the railroads and certain of their employees which, if not adjusted, may result in serious interruption to transportation, and Whereas such an interruption of traffic operations of the United States would be a national calamity and, if arising through arbitrary action of either side without the question in dispute being submitted to a careful and impartial analysis, would constitute an act inimical to public welfare and fraught with grave consequences: Be it therefore Resolved, That it is the sense of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America that the parties to the controversy should and in the interest of the public weal must settle their differences without recourse to measures that would impair the public service; and be it further Resolved, That the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States appoint a committee which shall carefully and impartially investigate and consider such phases of this critical situation as relate to the interests of commerce and the public and shall from time to time report to the board of directors as to the best means of preserving the public service unimpaired. A committee appointed in accordance with these resolutions, the committee on the railroad situation, presented a report which became the basis of referendum No. 16, in which 366 organizations filed ballots representing 987 votes in favor of Congress directing an immediate investigation by the Interstate Commerce Commission to ascertain the facts which in reality were at issue, and 29 votes in opposition to such a plan. In October, 1916, this committee presented its final report to the board of directors and asked that it be discharged. The board of directors then authorized the appointment of a second committee, to be known as the committee on railroads. The members of the committee are: Charles F. Weed, chairman, Boston, Mass.; F. C. Dillard, Sherman, Tex.; R. H. Downman, New Orleans, La.; Dr. Thomas F. Gailor, Memphis, Tenn.; Emory R. Johnson, Philadelphia, Pa.; E. T. Meredith, Des Moines, Iowa; George A. Post, New York, N. Y.; William Z. Ripley, Cambridge, Mass.; G. W. Simmons, St. Louis, Mo.; Alexander W. Smith, Atlanta, Ga.; Edward P. Smith, Omaha, Nebr.; Charles R. Van Hise, Madison, Wis.; Harry A. Wheeler, Chicago, Ill. At the same time the board of directors called a special meeting of the national council of the chamber to consider current problems of railroad transportation. At sessions in Washington on November 17 and 18 the national council adopted resolutions as follows: Whereas the national council of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America in response to a call of the president and board of directors of the chamber of commerce has in special meeting considered and discussed various phases of the transportation problem: Therefore be it Resolved, That the national council, in accordance with its function as an advisory body, commends to the board of directors and to a special committee authorized to investigate and report on this subject, the careful consideration of the resolutions offered and of the various arguments presented to the council and of the several plans and suggestions to cover specific points and principles involved, all of which are fully set forth in the stenographic reports of the proceedings of the council meeting; and be it further Resolved, That the national council recommends that a referendum or referenda be prepared and submitted, to ascertain the opinion of the business interests of the country, respecting legislation designed: (a) To prevent interruption of transportation service, pending the settlement of disputes between employers and employees of transportation lines, and to avoid any recurrence of the situation created by the recently threatened railway strike, which situation the President of the United States declared in a statement made public on August 18, 1916, "must never be allowed to arise again"; (b) To make certain that the transportation facilities of the country may be stabilized, improved, and extended to meet and keep pace with the needs of commerce and the entire public. The railroad committee has proceeded in accordance with the national council's resolution, and has presented a report dealing with prevention of interruption to railroad service which is herewith submitted to referendum vote among the organizations in the membership of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. The committee will subsequently present a report regarding the other subjects set out in the national council's resolutions. In this pamphlet are printed: (1) The committee's report; (2) arguments in the affirmative: (3) arguments in the negative; (4) appendices—(A) president's address; (B) existing United States law; (C) Canadian law; results of Canadian law. Personnel of committee.-Weed, Charles F., lawyer, of Boston, president of the Boston Chamber of Commerce; Dillard, F. C., lawyer, of Sherman, Tex., formerly president of the Texas Bar Association; Downman, R. H., lumber manufacturer, of New Orleans, president of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association; Gailor, Dr. Thomas F., bishop of Tennessee in the Protestant Episcopal Church, chancellor and president of the board of trustees, University of the South; Johnson, Emory R., professor of transportation and commerce, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.; Meredith, E. T., editor and publisher of Successful Farming, Des Moines, member of the board of directors, greater Des Moines committee, member of the board of directors of the United States Chamber of Commerce; Post, George A., manufacturer, of New York City, president railway business association; Ripley, William Z., professor of political economy, Harvard University; Simmons, G. W., a manufacturer, of St. Louis, Mo.; vice president Simmons Hardware Co.; Smith, Alexander W., lawyer, of Atlanta, Ga.; Smith, Edward P., lawyer, of Omaha, Nebr.; Van Hise, Charles R., president University of Wisconsin; Wheeler, Harry A., banker, of Chicago, member of the Federal Commission on SecondClass Mail Matter, formerly president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, and formerly president of the Chicago Association of Commerce, honorary vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. REPORT OF THE RAILROAD COMMITTEE ON THE PREVENTION OF STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS. DECEMBER 11, 1916. To the BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES: The railroad committee respectfully submits the following report: The committee has carefully considered the situation resulting from the controversy between the railroads and the four train-service brotherhoods during the summer of 1916, the existing laws, and various suggestions for their modification. There were before the committee the Towne plan, the McClellan plan, and numerous other proposals made at the meeting of the national council of the chamber of commerce held in November, 1916. The committee is unanimous that the interests of the public are paramount and that provision should be made to insure uninterrupted service by the railroads. The committee is in full accord with the proposal made by the President of the United States in his address to Congress on December 5, 1916: "That the operation of the railways of the country shall not be stopped or interrupted by the concerted action of organized bodies of men until a public investigation shall have been instituted which shall make the whole question at issue plain for the judgment of the opinion of the Nation." The committee therefore strongly approves the principle of the recommendation of the President that Congress enact An amendment of the existing Federal statute which provides for the mediation, conciliation, and arbitration of such controversies as the present by adding to it a provision that, in case the methods of accommodation now provided for should fail, a full public investigation of the merits of every such dispute shall be instituted and completed before a strike or lockout may lawfully be attempted.” The existing Federal statute to which the President referred is the Newlands act passed in 1913. The committee believes that in amending this act in accordance with the principle of the President's recommendation, while each party to the controversy should be equally represented, the paramount interests of the public require that the public should have a majority representation on boards of investigation or arbitration. To the end that information may be immediately available in any future controversy, the committee recommends the establishment forthwith, under the Interstate Commerce Commission, of a separate division of statistical inquiry, the function of which shall be to make a statistical study of all questions relating to wages and conditions of service upon the railroads. This division and all data collected by it should at all times be at the service of any board of investigation or arbitration. The committee believes that the establishment of this division should be considered an essential part of the program. The committee recommends that the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States take steps to secure immediately by referendum a vote from its constituent members upon the following questions: 1. Shall existing law be so amended or supplemented as to require full public investigation of the merits of every dispute between railroad carriers of interstate commerce and their employees, to be instituted and completed before any steps tending to the interruption of transportation shall be attempted? |