Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-09-10
PRESIDENT ASKS
FOR WAGE TRUCE
Shopmen Are Offered AGENT
Raise; Greater Increase
Called UnWiSe.
WAGE BOOSTS RAISE PRICES
Present High Cost of Living Is Tenn
porary, the President Asserts, and
Will Fall When Peace Is Rati-
fled and Conditions Settle.

Washington, Aug. 27.-President
| Wilson submitted to representatives. Of
the six railroad shop crafts a proposal
TO pay shopmen about four cents an
hour increase, on basis of ten-hours'
| pay for eight hours work. retroactive
o May /.
The president told the committee Of
100 representing the shop crafts that
any greater increase now would great
| ly increase the cost of living and there
| fore was inadvisable.
Certain classes Of shopmen, repair
men and car inspectors, who have been
receiving 90 cents and So cents. respec-
| lively. would be paid 81 cents an hour
under the proposed scale.
The shipments representatives told
the president they would submit the
| proposition to their members, whose
original demands were for an advance
of 25 per cent.
The president requested that the
men not act on the original PROPOSE
/ ton to have congressional commit
tee pass on the wage demands. A
| vote Of the shopmen on this proposition
is now being tabulated.
The increase represents cOnces-
sion amounting to approximately one
/ fourth of the demand made by the
| shopmen.
The shopmen ask for % per cent
increase on their basic pay Of 6S cents
an hour. This increase would have
amounted TO II cents an hour, where
as the proposal of the president would
give them cents an hour. or 40 cents
! day more than the workers new re-
ceive
The president, coincident with MS
statement to the shipments representa-
| lives, addressed statement To the
public advising the nation of the situa-
tion and the basis Of his action. 1t is
his first publicly expressed view on the
| country's labor situation.
The Accent an hour increase pro-
posed, the presidents statement said,
/ represents Il REIMBURSEMENT of shop
mems wages to put their pay on the
/ same basis as other railroad workers,
that is, on ten-hour hour pay and eight
| hour work basis, and accordingly is
not in the strict sense an Increase in
/ wages.
! Pointing to the shOpmen's argument
! that an increase in wages was neces-
! sary 10 meet the high cost of living,
the president said the workers de-
| Istt Tn,
| increase in wages. which are likely 10
| he permanent. in order to meet tenn
| porary situation which will last no.
| body can certainly tell how long, but
in all probability only for limited
! time"
The presidents statement said 'it is
neither wise nor feasible to take care
of increases In wages of railroad EN-
! ployees at this time by increases IN
freight rates"
\ single paragraph of the statement
is sufficient to show how serious the
ton, He says:
I'VE are face To face with Situa-
tion which is more likely to affect the
happiness and prosperity. and even the
life. of our people than the war itself. "
adding:
In such circumstances il seems
clear to me, and | believe will seem
clear to every thoughtful American. in
Guiding the Shopmen themselves. when
! they have taken second thought. and
| TO to all wage earners of every kind,
that we ought To postpone questions of
| this sort until normal conditions come
again and we have the opportunity for
certain calculation as to the relation
between wages and the cost of
living
ut is the duty of every citizen of
! the country TO Insist upon truce in
sucn contests until intelligent settle
rIents can be made, and made by
peaceful and effective common coun-
| sci.
Il appeal to my fellow citizens of
! every employment to cooperate in in
sisting upon and in maintaining such a
truce. and TO cooperate also in sus-
tanning the government in what ii con
ceives TO be the only course which CON
scientiouS public servants can pur-
sue.
Demands unwlsely made and pas.
sionately insisted upon nj this time
menace the peace and prosperity of the
country as nothing else could, and thus
contribute to bring about the very re-
suits which such demands are intended
10 remedy"