The President's News Conference

RAILWAY EMERGENCY BOARD

THE PRESIDENT. Two or three people have been told about the report of the emergency board which I appointed [Proc. 1949] on the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway dispute. That was a dispute involving 125 men. The board was appointed. It has made its report and the managers of the railway, I understand, are coming to Washington to discuss the matter with the railway mediation board, ¹ and I have agreed not to publish the report until they have had an opportunity to see whether they can settle their disturbance. The object of those processes is to bring about arbitration and if that can be brought about I am only too glad to see it settled up.

1 United States Mediation Board.

SPECIAL SESSION OF CONGRESS

I have memorials from several associations, chiefly of religious character, and others, and there have also been some statements made in the press in respect to an extra session of Congress. I want to say that I do not propose to call an extra session of Congress. I know of nothing that would so disturb the healing processes now undoubtedly going on in the economic situation. We cannot legislate ourselves out of a world economic depression. We can and we will work ourselves out. A poll of the Members of Congress would show that a very large majority of them are in entire agreement with me on that subject.

And that is all I have got for today.