The Washington times., 1919-08-08
SHOPMENHEED.
PRESIDENT; GO
BACK TO WORK
IN MANY CITIES
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on the Plumb plan for Government
ownership and ''tripartite" operation
of the railroads, and A. L. Garretson,
81 president Of the Order of Railway
Conductors, made the same statement
in an interview today.
The President in a letter to Rail
Director Hines told him to take up
the wage question without further
authority from Congress, but also
told him there would be no dealings
with the employees until the railroad
shopmen, who walked out without
the sanction of their leaders, went
back to their jobs.
Until the employees return to work
and again recognize the authority Of
their own organizations the whole
matter must be at a standstill," wrote
the President The letter emphasized
that the Railroad Administration will
deal only with duly accredited ma
tional heads of the union. and not
with local leaders in Chicago and
elsewhere, who led out thousands OF
workers in an attempt to bring about
q national strike of the whole mem
bership Of 100000 of the shipments
union.
you are hereby authorized" the
President ordered Hines, ''to say to
the railroad shop employees that the
question of wages they have raised
will be taken up and considered on
its merits by the director general in
conference with their duly accredited
Representatives"
No Mention Of Rates.
The letter made no mention of
rates. When Hines virtually broke off
negotiations with the men, several
l.
ministration had no money and could
not grant increased wages without
special appropriations from Congress
or a raise in freight rates. He adj
vised the President against ordering
q rate increase. The President wrote
Congress proposing a new wage com
mission be created to deal with the
situation.
Heads OF four big railroad brother
hoods agreed in condemning this
proposal because of the delay in
volved. They said if Hines didn't de-
eide the matter they would be unable
to prevent a nationwide strike of
practically all rail workers.
President Wilson instructed Hines
TO decide the wage question following
receipt OF letter from Senator Cum
minis, who said the Interstate Com
merce Committee had decided the
President had full power to act.
The appeal Of organized labor for
Government ownership Of railroads,
backed by veiIed threats of serious
unrest unless the plan is adopted, has !,
so far found no open champion among |
the House and Senate Interstate Com |
merce- Committees, to whom the re-
sponsibility falls for the disposition |
Of the lines.
Many believe the question should |
be submitted to a national referen- |
DUN
Find No Champion.
Labor leaders have been before the |
House committee two days and have |
found no champion for their pro-
gram. Even Congressman Sims, who |
introduced their plan as a House bill |
by request, today definitely stated |
he could not agree to il in many de- |
tails. He favors Government owner
ship of the fixed equipment Of the |
lines, with leases to private corpora
lions for operation, the owners be- /
ing allowed to keep the rolling stock.
1t is generally believed the bill, |
even in modified form, will not be /
reported out by either House or Sen
ate Committee. and that the most the
labor leaders can hope for from this
Congress is adoption OF few of their
principles in the bill returning the
roads to their owners.
Interest now centers in the brother
hoods next move, the threatened ex-
pose of the alleged lOoting Of many
railroads by Wall Street interests,
with a demand for Congressional in
vestigation.
Nothing definite has been revealed
with regard to the conference on
railroad control which Glenn Plumb,
attorney for the railroad employees,
said had been called to meet in Wash
ington, and to which many prominent
people, including Governor Allen. of
Kansas, and Frank P. Walsh had been
invited The date remains to be fixed.