Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-31
Director General McAdoo and
Railroads War Board Plan
Immediate Action.
TAKE UP DEMAND OF MEN
FOR AN INCREASE IN PAY
No Strike While Government Is
Taking Control-President to Ad-
dress Congress Thursday.


Immediate measures Will be taken
to relieve the coal shortage I'm New
England and in New York. Director
General McAdoo announced today.
Orders, he said. VIII be 1ssned be-
fore night giving to coal shipments
preferential movement.
Both the director general of railroads,
William G. McAdoo, and the railroads
war board today devoted their principal
attention to methods for obtaining the
freer movement of coal.
Immediate action is tanned to relieve the
coal shortage in various parts of the
country, particularly in New England. Use
of water routes. between Hampton roads
and New England ports, is advocated by
the railroad men as one method of re-
lieving the shortage in that section. But
coal is being rushed there via rail to take
care of the immediate demands, made
more imperative by the extreme cold
New England Shortage Discussed.
The fuel shortage in New England was
the principal topic discussed at a confer
ence at Mr. McAdoo's Office yesterday.
which was attended by DR.. HsA- Garfield,
fuel administrator: Interstate Commerce
Commissioner Anderson, Walker D. Hines.
newly appointed assistant to the director
general; Edward Chambers. traffic director
of the food administration. and J. J..
Starrow, fuel administrator of New Eng
land.
The wages of railroad employees under
federal control was the other question
which engaged Mr.. McAdoo's attention
today. He was in conference with rep
resenetatives of the Department of La
boris mediation and conciliation divi-
sion.
Plans raising the pay of the rank and
file of railway workers and reducing
some Of the very high salaries paid to
executive ofncfals. were discussed. The
board now has before it the pending
demands for wage increases rangfnEAa
High as 40 per cent for the four great
brotherhoods.
Disposed to Grant Some Increases.
It has been~well known for some time
that the government was disposed to
grant some increase, and the railroad
men In turn have given their word they
will not attempt a strike while the gov
ernment is taking hold of the railroad
situation.
Heads of the four railway brother
hoods. who conferred with President
Wilson last week, were summoned to
confer on Thursday with the director
general regarding the relations be-
tween labor and the government rail-
road administration. Although the
brotherhood heads are not expected to
press their demands for higher wages
for some time, most officials believe the
government will soon take up in a
comprehensive way the varied requests
Of labor for better pay, and make
general readjustment, which will in
crease wages Slightly.
Oscar A. Price. appointed yesterday
as secretary to the director general.
assumed his duties today. He looked
over the space allotted to Mr.. McAdoo
and his staff at the Interstate Com
merce Commission building, and 0s
soon as furniture can be installed the
railroad director will have his head
quarters there:
Plans to Break Traffic Jam.
C. c. Mcchord of the Interstate Com
merce Commission has been assigned to
the task of gathering reports on traffic
conditions. with a view to working out
a plan by which the tremendous traffic
jam may be alieviated. and future con-
gestions avoided. Reports on transpor-
tation conditions are coming to him
from all parts of the country.
By the end of the week Congress is
expected TO be well along in the task
of framing legislation guaranteeing
raflroacs compensation on the basis of
pre-war earnings. President Wilson is
expected to go before Congress Thurs
day.