The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-26

 although -he oo,tfstT rGp1rt waa lu10r July l6. the date oT the report generany being taken as the retroactive date, Under the new scale of wages machin- ists tool makers, boilermakers. riyiters. blacksmits, sheet-metal workers and the electricians. all Of whom now receive CSC an hour, will receive. 72c. Helpers will receive 49c an hour instead of the present wage of 45c.
 Acting President Jewell. of the railway employees department of the American federation of labor, and his advisers said they would communicate the deci. sion to the union locals for acceptance or rejection. strike vote completed yesterday, but not yet tabulated. was on the question whether the men should quit work Ito enforce consideration of their demands by the railroad admins tration instead of by a congressional commission as first suggested. As this plan was abandoned, the vote, whatever fits result, is nonerfective. and the shop men now have an entirely new question before them.
 This question they were asked by President Wilson. through their com- mittee, to consider in a new light.
 MORE DEADLY THAN WAR We are face to face with a stuation," the President said. which is more likely to affect the happiness and prosperity and even the life of our people than the war itself
 He thereupon outlined the govern ments efforts to reduce prices and the need for assisting these efforts by stim- ulating production and maintaining transportation.
 "A general increase in the levels of wages might defeat this at it's very be- ginning" the resident said 'T believe baf 70 aff h> cost of living will be successful if no new elements of difficulty are thrown in the way. I confidently count upon the men engaged in the service of the railways to assist. not obstruct. They are good Americans, along with the rest of us, and may, am sure. be counted upon to see the point.
 Tt goes without saying that if our efforts to bring the cost of living down should fail, it will be. ofcourse. neces- sary to accept the higher costs as a permanent basis of adjustment. and railway wages should be adjusted along with the rest"
 MT. Hines recommendation to the President as to the amount of increases to be given went exhaustively into tho reasons advanced by the shopmen as to the necessity for more pay He showed that the average advance in shopmen's earnings was in excess of the total increase in the cost of living from July 1, 1915. and August 1. 1919, due to the fact that standardization adopted at the request of the employees had given thousands higher classifi- cation and higher pay than they previ- ously enjoyed.
 WORK TEMPORARY
 Wages paid for similar work in ship yards, which workers the shopmen have cited as higher paid, MT. Hines said. were higher because the work was temporary ana carried on under great pressure. and also the workmen were forced to live in congested districts. where living was extremely high. while railroad shopmen generally have the advantage of small or semi-rural com munities Private industries. the direc- tor general found. were paying about 3 cents an hour more than the railroad administration, which difference will ba aqualized under the 4-cent advance
 T approach this natter. Mir. Hines said in his report. with the ciearest conviction that the railroads must be conducted now and for au time In tho
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