New-York tribune., 1919-08-03
business Of the House, prepare legisla-
ton which will be necessary when your
authority ceases.
Respectfully yours,
FREDERICK II. GILLETT."
Differences Of Opinion

Differences Of Opinion
Chairman Esch Of the House Com
= mittee on Interstate and Foreign Com
merce expressed the opinion that the
fact that = remedial legislation was
under way would obvate any danger
of general strike of railway employees
at present, but the leaders of the rail
way employees organizations were Of
the opinion that it would be difficult to
restrain the men pending the recreation
of a body to deal with the situation,
which would not be able to act for
some time after its creation.
The fact that it is proposed that
whatever increases of pay >may be
granted shall be dated back to August
l was not considered likely to allay
the impatience Of men who find they
are not earning enough to meet cur
rent living costs. The reference of
the determination of the question to
Congress was condemned by w. G. Lee,
president of the Brotherhood of Rail
way Trainmcn: l.. L. Sheppard, presi
dent of the conductors, and Timothy
Shea, pre- esident of the tiremen and en-
ginemen.
Neither the House nor the Senate In
terstate Commerce committees formally
dealt with the Legislation proposed. by
the Pres dent. but in measure they
passed the buck" back to the Admins
tration on the railway phase through
the action of Chairman Esch of the
House committee and Chairman Cum
mings Of the Senate committee, who. at
conference Friday afternoon with Dl-
rector General Hines, advised him to
formulate his plan in the form of a
bill. 1t was stated to- day at Mr.. Illness S
Office that it probably would take the
major part of next week 10 draft the
bah. The Senate committee will dis
cuss the matter at meeting called
FOR Tuesday morning
Bill Will Be Expedited
AS soon rs MIR. Hines gets his bill
ready it will be introduced. and it then
will take the usual course, somewhat
expedited As the House Commerce
Committee has an elaborate schedule
Of hearings arranged for the next two
weeks on railroad legislation in gen
erai, it is planned that the Senate com
nittee shall initiate consideration of
the bill
There was talk among members of a
suggestion that the government start
price tumble by selling at. a much
lower price the wheat crop it is pledged
to buy at $2.26 bushel, the argument
being that cheap bread tends to make
all other commodities cheaper Ardor
for this idea was somewhat dampened
by news that cash wheat. was bringing
S3.05 bushel at Minneapolis. Just
how the government could do any
wheat price smashing with the market
higher than the price it is authorized
10 pay was not apparent.
No information was given at the
White House in regard to possible Ad-
ninistration plans for dealing with the
prices crisis, but it was hinted by some
observers that it was possible that the
Presidents advisers would recommend,
among other things, that the food ad
ministration be revived and clothed
With far more power and authority
than it had during the war
For Government Employees, Too
Representative Fitzgerald, of Massa-
chusetts, called at the White House to
advocate wage increases for all gov
crnment employees.
In view of the Presidents starfd
regarding increases for railroad EN-,
ployes," said Mr. Fitzgerald, Some
thing should be done for all classes IF
government employees. all of'whom are
notoriously underpaid."
The Senate resolution requesting the
Senate Banking Committee to report
whether legislation to reduce the
amount of currency in circulation was
advisable as means of reducing the
cost of living, was adopted without a
record vote. The resolution, which was
sponsored by Senator Myers, Democrat,
Montana, had been under debate for
two days.