Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-26
PRESIDENT PREFERS
MEN AWAIT RETURN
OF NORMAL TIMES
Opposes Plan to Increase
Freight Rates to Pro-
vide Funds.
TWO STATEMENTS ISSUED
MAKING APPEAL TO LOYALTY
Says 1t Is Duty of Every
Citizen to Insist Upon
Truce.
AFFECTS THOUSANDS OF MEN
General Policy Pronounced Applies
to Requests Which Arc Pending
Before Dircctor-Gcncral Hines.
AFFECTS THOUSANDS OF MEN
4 to Requests Which Arc Pending
Before Dircctor-Gcncrai Hines.
tBy Associated Pros.


WASIIINCiTON. August -. = Post
ponement Of the settlement OF wage
demands until normal economic con-
ditions are restored was announced
today by President Wilson as the poll
icy which III" administration will pur-
sue IN dealing with such questions.
particularly those affecting railroad
workers.
The President announced also that
III was neither wise nor feasible at this
time. when the important question be
fore the country is Il return 10 Il nor
NAL price level. to attempt 10 Increase
freight rates TO provide funds for
higher wages.
we ought to postpone questions OF
this sort until we have the opportu-
nifty for certain calculations as TO the
relations between wages and the cos;
of living" the President declared In
statement 10 the public. explaining his
decision AS 10 wages. at is The duty
OF every citizen TO Insist upon a truce
In such contests until Intelligent set
Elements can be made. and made by
] appea! u my fellow citizens OF every
employment 10 cooperate in insisting
upon and maintaining such truce"
Other Demand. Affected.
Mr.. Wilson's statement was issued
self and Director Genera! Hines on
demands by railroad shopmen for %
per cent advance in wages. bu, the
general policy pronounced covers also
the wage demands o! other hundreds
~ thousands Of railroad workers.
which are pending before the director
general or about TO be presented. II
Ia 10 be expected that other unions
asked a. the ehopmen. TO play, their
part win other citizens IN reducing
the cost Of living by foregoing a tenn
porary advantage which would add 10
TRANSPORTATION costs.
The decision of the President and
the direetor,geneTaaoI was asnn, annonnted 10
for a rs per cen, increase. the shop
men, OF their pay 70 the basis or ten
hours pay for eight hours work,
which they contended, was given otner
employees and denied them when the
Adamson Law became effective. This
means an advance OF the basic. pay
from 6s cents to 72 cents an hour.
whereas an increase Of u cents TO 50
cents an hour was demanded.
Retroactive From May 1.
In view OF the delay of the railroad
administration beard on wages and
working conditions in reporting on the
demands of the shopmen. Director-Gen-
cral Hines recommended that the new
May ], although the boards report was
made July l6, the date of report gem
orally being taken rs the retroactive
Under the new scale of wages. ma
chinists. toolmakers. boilerm er s.
riveters, blacksmiths. sheet metal
now receive 6S cents an hour. will re
ceivc ~ cents. Helpers will receive 80
cents an hour instead OF the prescn;
Strike Vote Is Completed.
Acting President Jewell of the rail
way employees department of tho
American Federation OF Labor. aud his
advisers said they would communicate
the decision to the union locals for uc-
ceptancc or rejection: strike vote.
completed yesterday. but not yet ,abu
the men should quit work to enforce
consideration OF their demands by the
railroad adm inistration instead OF by d
congressional commission as iirst sug-
gested. AS this plan was abandoned,
the vote. whatever it's result. is non
effective and the shopmen now have
This question they were asked by
President Wilson, through their com
mittee. to consider in new light"
tion." the President said. which is |
more likely to- TO affect the happiness ,i2 and
people, than the war itself"
Outlines Efforts to Cut Prices.
He thereupon outlined the govern.
ments efforts to reduce prices and the |
need for assisting these efforts by |
stimulating production and maintain.
ing transporta tion.
"a general increase in the levels of |
wages might defeat this at it's very be-
ginning" the President said. II he
lieve that the present efforts 10 re. |
duce the costs of living will be sue
cessful, il no new elements of difficulty !
are thrown in the way. ! confidently !
count upon the men engaged i'm the |
service of the railways to assist, not
obstruct They are Eoud Anrcric |
along with the rest of us. and may, |
am sure. be counted on to see tn. |
points.
ut goes without saying that if our
efforts to bring the cost of living down |
should fail 1t will be. OF course, neces-
sary to accept tho higher costs a, :, |
permanent basis Of adjustment and /
railway wages should be adjusted along |
with the rest"
Hines Cites Some Figures.
Mr.. Hines recommendation TO tho
President as to the amount OF increas Sc |
to be given went cnhaustively into the |
reasons advanced by the shopmen as To |
the necessity for more pay. He showed
that the average increase In shopmenS |
earnings was in excess of the total in
crease in the cost Of living from july
]. 1918. and August l. 1919, due TO the
fact that Standardization adopted al
the request OF tho employees had given
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