Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-11-15
PLACE LOVE
OFCO|)NTRY.
AHEAD OF.
ALL ELSE.
Railroad Engineers Will Not
Strike, No Matter What
Is the Result of the Wage
Controversy.
Officials of Other Brother
hoods Believes There Will
Be No Walkout-Presi-
dent Considers Naming
Railroad Dictator.

Railroad Dictator.
Cleveland, O., Nov. l5.-"There Is not
going to be railroad strike-dont
even imagine it for a minute
With that statement, w. G. Lee,
president Of the Brotherhood of Rail
way Trainmen, which is voting on a
demand for increased wages, regis
tered today his faith in President Will
sons policy.
Lee was asked by the United Press
whether he thought the presidents pol
icy led TO government dictatorship
over the railroads.
II wouldn't want 90 gamble that 1t
doesn't" he replied
Lee agAn asserted that the trainmen
arc entitled to "a fullstomach. He
tntimated the trainmen will firmly
demand higher wages. He said;
MUST HAVE REVENUES.
And YOU know as well as that the
railroads won't grant them without IN
creased revenues"
This led to the inference that Lee
expects the deadlock which President
Wilson spoke of in his letter to the
chairman of the United States board
of mediation and Cancellation when he
mentioned the possibility of being
Obliged to take unusual measures to
operate the railroads.
Lee nailed as a pipe dream" the
suggestion that the president might
draft the railway employees and force
them to work at army wages.
I'VE have talked to the president
I, would
state what assurance, if any, the pres
ldent gave.
',rhere is no law for such action"
said Lee. THE governments policy
points the other way The whole trend
has been to raise existing wages OF
necessary employees when the govern
ment asks their unstinted cooperation
to win the war"
POINTS TO ENGLAND.
Lee again pointed to Englands rail-
way dictatorship, sanctioned by both
the railroads and the employees, which
meant bigger profits and higher wages
And let no one question the pa
triotism of The railway trainmen,' de-
clared Lee. THE full stomach is all
we demand"
Then Lee told for the first time of
the cancellation of a law governing his
brotherhood which encourages enlist
iments of trainmen in the nations
fighting forces.
The insurance department said Lee,
I'D to this time has been governed by
law which automatically cancels the
insurance of members if they go to
war.
WILL COST MILLIONS.
q set that law aside by executive
action" said Lee. In case train
man enlists his insurance dues are
paid by the grand lodge and his in
surance holds. This will cost us mil
lions of dollars, but 1t Is an act of
patriotism on the part of the train
men, and there have been no ob1ec-
TONS"
Lees executive order closed with the
ytatement:
I'VE have felt the great patriotic
heart of the railway employees Of the
United States and Canada. If we have
erred in the interests of liberty and
humanity, we ask your tolerance. 1t
often has been said by our enemies
that organized labor Is menace to
good government. Now that we are
fighting the enemies of democracy our
loyalty will be proved"
In q ringing statement with patriot
ism it's keynote, w. s. Stone. president
Of the engineers, representing $4,000 of
them, told the United Press today the
engineers place love OF country ahead
Of everything.
COUNTRY COMES FIRST.
I'VE are sitting tight, waiting to see
t. ~ 10 49,.
: tional crisis" Stone said. Love OF
country ranks first In the sentiment
OF the engineers. 1t is ahead of every
thing"
But the locomotive engineers are
watching.
we are on the side lines said
Stone, watching what the other fell
lows do
Although Stone would speak onl,
for the engineers. the feeling about the
brotherhood headquarters here wal
that the engineers did not have mo-
nopoly on patriotism. in SO far as the
railroad workers are concerned.
I "FULL STOMACH" TOO.
The lower paid trainmen feel tina,
their patriotism Is of high grade. blu,
that they are entitled to "a full stom-
ach," as w. G. Lee, of the Railwa,
Trainmen. expressed IT,
Waiting for Stone when he reached
his office today was a telegram notify.
ing him Of the conference Nov. 90
which the four big brotherhoods chiefs
will hold with the president.
Stone win 60 to New York tonight
y confr with the "committee g.