Iditarod pioneer., 1916-05-06

of all work on the Alaska government IdI- road project until definite settlement of the strike has been reached.
 The above dispatch will be read with gen une regret by Alaskans and the belet Will be general that there has been unpardon able laundering somewhere. It will come as somewhat of a shock to learn that the United States government IS unable to ar rive at an amicable understanding with Il few hundred laborers as to the rate of wages to be paid on public project. There VII probably be sequel to the affair, and the public will demand that the persons respon- sible for the affair shall be held account able
 Ever since work on the railroad started there have been murmurs of dlscontent at the wages paid -37 F. cents an hour and the system in vogue of sub-contractlng the work which allowed an evasion of the fed eral eight hour day on public work This resulted in the formation of labor union, and early in the year a demand was made upon the commission ln charge ot the work for an increase in wages to 5O cents per ! hour and the observance of the eight hour day Commissioner Mears, who was in charge at the time, submitted the demand l to Secretary of the Interior Lane, who re
 piled by stating that he had appointed a ] special commission to go to Anchorage and arrange settlement of the controversy. ! Pending the arrival of the commission and ] the investigation to be made, the men re ! turned to work on the underst andlng that whatever settlement should be arrived at | if ShOIld date from that time
 Commissioner Mears addressing q meet 1 ing of 8OO men, and in urging them to re 1 turn to work said:
 1 When the disatfection among the men l composing the steel gang caused them to walk out on February 7, it was probably | the common impression that l would have authority to grant general ralse Tn wages. i but nothing could be farther from the truth. | You will note that it is the secretary's wish ' that you return to work temporarily at the { present scale of wages, and until the new l scale Is put into effect as the result of i the conference about to be held. It woul! ! serve no useful purpose to refuse to return 1 to work at this time under these condI- | tions. Secretary Lane has been fair and
 reasonable, and any attempt on your part
 to avoid meeting him half way would not react in your favor In fact, any attempt
 at this time to call general strike and cause any cessation of present work might
 have serious consequences" The cOmmIs-
 sioner gave assurance of cooperation with the union committee in recommending an ; increase in wages At a later meeting, after
 a general debate lasting two hours q resolu- ' tion was adopted by vote of about 994 to
 in substance as follows: That the call
 for general strike be deferred until after | a hearing before the committee from the | department of labor that work be resumed
 by members of the union only on condl-
 ticn that the new wage scale date from i time work Is resumed
 The special commission appointed by Sec
 retarv of Labor Wilson to investigate the [ troubles was composed of James A. Motfitt
 of New Jersey, HyweI Davis of Kentucky
 and B. NJ, Squires of Washington, D. C.
 The committee representing the union
 was composed of wage earnerS of different
 natonaIities, trades and occupations af-
 fected by the strike.
 In the absence of further telegraphic news
 cn the subject, it is not known what caused
 the deadlock nor what the probabilities are
 for reSumptiOn o fthe work