Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-26
PRESIDENT EXERCISES UNUSUAL
POWERS IN RAILROAD WAGE
CONTROVERSY.
FOUR CENTS INCREASE
AND SHORTER WoRkoAy
Men to Be Paid on Ten Hour Basis
For Eight Hours Of Work-Prssident
Issues Statement to Public Explain.
ing Reasons For Action - Prefer
Will Be Submitted to Brotherhood.

Wilson late yesterday submitted ~
representatives of the six railroad shop
crafts proposal to pay shopmen about
4 cents an hour increase on basis OF
ten hours pay for eight hours work.
retroactive TO May !.
The president told the committee or
100 representing the shop craft that
any greater increase now would great
ly increase the cost OF living and there
fore was inadvisble.
Certain classes OF shopmen, such as
car repairmen and car inspectors, VINO
have been receiving 63 cents, respec-
lively will be paid 81 cents an hour
under the proposed scale
The shipments representatives told
the president that they would submit
the proposition to their members
whose original demands were for an
advance of % per cent. The president
requested that the men not act on the
original proposition to have a congress
sional committee pass On the wage de-
mands. 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 president, coincident with his
statement TO the shopmen's represen-
tatives, addressed a statement TO the
public advising the nation Of the sit
uation and the basis Of his action.
Not a Strict Increase.
The cents an hour proposed, the
presidents statement said. represents
a readju stment OF shipments wages to
put their pay on the same basis as 9TH
er railroad workers, that Is, on the ten
hour pay and eight hour work basis.
and accordingly is not in the strict
sense an increase in wages.
Pointing to the shipments argument
that an increase in wages was neces-
sary in order to meet the high cost or
living, the president said the workers
demands were in effect that We make
an increase in wages, which are likely
to be permanent. and not temporary to
| relieve the present situation due to the
high cost of living"
The presidents statement said that
1T is neither wise nor advisable to take
care OF increases in wages of railroad
employees at this time by increases in
| freight rates"
The Presidents Address.
The presidents statement addressed
| to the public follows:
My fellow citiZens:
"a situation has arisen In connec-
| ton with the administration of the
railroads which is of such general sig
nificance that I think # my duty to
make a public statement concerning It.
| in order that the whole country may
know what is involved.
manded a larger increase in wages.
They are now receiving So. 60 and SIS
cents per hour. They demand S. cents
per hour This demand has been CIV
en- careful and serious consideration
| by the board which was constituted
by the railroad administration to ad-
just questions of wages. board con-
sisting OF an equal number of repre-
sentatives of employees and Of the OPP
Grating managers of the railroad COM
panies. This board has been unable to
come to an agreement. and it has
therefore devolved upon the directors
general Of railroads and myself to act
upon the merits Of the case.
No Comparison to Shipyards.
1.-The shopmen urge that they are
entitled to higher wages because OF the
higher wages for the present received
by the men doing similar wark in ship
yards, navy yards ana arsenais, as well
as in a number Of private yards, but /
concur with the director general In
thinking that there is no real basis OF
connpa rison between the settled en-
ployment afforded mechanics by the
railroads under living conditions as va
rious as the location and surroundings
Of the railway shops themselves and
the fuctuating employment afforded
in industries exceptionally and temper
arily stimulated by the war and To-
Gated almost without exception in in
dustrial centers where the cost Of liv-
ing is the highest.
1.-THE substantial argument which the
shopmen urge is the very serious in
crease In the cost Of living. This is
very potent argument indeed. But the
fact is that the cast Of living has GER
tainly reached its peak, and will prob
ably be lowered by the efforts which
are now everywhere being concerted
and carried out. It will certainly be
lowered so soon as there are settled
conditions of production and of COM
merce; that u.s. so soon as the treaty
Of peace Is ratified and in operation
and merchants, farmers, miners all
as to what their business will be and
htaw the conditions will be under
which it must be conducted.
Demand Permanent Increase.
"The demands of the shopmen.
therefore, and all similar demands are
| in effect this: That we make increase
| in wages, which are likely to be per-
,manent, in order to meta temporary
situation which will last nobody can