New-York tribune., 1919-08-06
Practical Endorsement of
BrOtherhOOd's Plan for
Control of Railroads
Predicted i'm Congress
Unions Repeat
Wage Demands
Draft New Plan TO Be
Presented to Director of
Roads; Keep 1t Secret
Ne,o York Tribune
T0Shtuofou Rure0u

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-According
to close friends of the Administration
to-day President Wilson believes the
issue in the 1920 election will be the
naturalization Of railroads. He is
said to believe the issue has finally
arisen in the present demand of the
railroad employees for the "democrati-
zation" of their industry, on which the
new party alignments, as between con-
scrvatives and radicals, will be based.
1t is with this belief; it is declared.
that President Wilson proposes to sub
NIT the whole question of adjusting
the present difficulty to Congress,
rather than have the Director General
of Railroads settle it, 1t is pointed
out that the Director General has the
Presldent. and not yet withdrawn. to
change railroad rates. He could have
granted the increases asked by the
mon if he considered them justified,
and advanced the rates sufficiently to
meet the increases had the President
been willing to take the responsibility.
Or he could have refused the increases
II he did not think them necessary and
lought the battle out with the unions
The Big Political Issue
The submission of the whole subject
to Congress, however, it is declared. is
IN line with the Presidents belief that
labor is now the big political issue and
should be dealt with by the political
representatives of the people. The
lineup which will come when the bill
embodying the Presidents ideas
reaches vote will be the lineup for
the next campaign. And the President
confidently believes, these men declare,
that this will cause a division on both
sides of the present party aisles.
1t developed during the day that
Senators and the officials Of the railway
employees were united on one point.
Both were opposed to referring the
wage demands Of the railway operatives
to Congress. In this connection Sena-
tor Cummins declared the President
had ample power to meet the emer-
gency without calling upon Congress
tor further grant of powers.
However, the leaders of the employees,
without arguing as to where the au-
thorlty lay. reiterated their demand
that Director General Hines grant
their desired wage increases promptly
They wanted no delay such as would
follow the submission of the matter to
Congress.
These leaders drafted a definite plan
which they thought light meet the i'm
mediate situation, but pending the sub
mission of their proposition to Direc-
tor Hines they refused to make it pub
lie.
Strike Continues to Spread
Meanwhile the strike of railway
men continued to spread, despite the
appeals of their representatives that
the men now at work should hold on
and that those who had already struck
should return to their employment un-
til a strike vote could be taken. 1t |
was estimated that 100000 men were
already out, and predictions were made
that the threatened tie-up would be
tact much earlier than the thirty days
limit set by Acting President Jewell, of
the Railway Department of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, when he said
that if the demands of the men were
not granted the railroads of the coun-
try would be "tied up so tight that they
would never run again"
President j. j. Forester of the
Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship
Clerks, Freight Handlers, and Express
Company Employees, did not succeed in
seeing Director General Hines to-day,
DuC VIII HlSSC MN tO-InOTTOW. MI + OF
roster said to-day nothing would
satisfy his followers except an immedi-
ate advance in wages. Further. he
intimated that the men were getting !
out of hand. saying:
There must be some kind of imme-
date relief in the way of adjustment
Of pay if peace is to be maintained
on the railways. The situation is be-
coming very acute, and it requires all
my diplomacy and patience to handle
the situation"
Railroad Executives Gather
Aroused by the demand Of the rail-
way employees that private capital must |
get out Of the railroads, executives of |
the big roads began to gather in |
Washington to fight against the Plumb
plan for taking over the railways.
These officials admitted that they were
in the capital to battle against their
obliteration from the transportation |
business.
The tense situation inspired a spirit
ed debate in the Senate, during which !
Senator Thomas, Democrat, Of Colo
rado, lkened the attitude Of the rail-
way men to treason, and called upon
Construed on pogo three