The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-08-12
MEN MUST DECIDE
WAGES QUESTION.
Must First Return to Their Work.
Letter From President
Wilson.

Letter From President
Wilson.
Washington, Aug. president
Wilson tonight notified Director Cen
:eral Hines that he was authorized to
take up the demands Of railroad en-
ployees for higher wages and decide
on their demands. The president said
the letter sent him by Senator Cum
minis, chairman of the committee on
interstate commerce, chad set me
free to deal as I think best with the
difficult question of the wages OF
:certain classes of the railroad en-
ployees," but added: "The chief OBJ
stacle to decision has been created
by the men themselves. They have
gone out on strike and repudiated
the authority of their officers at the
very moment when they were urging
action in regard to their interests"
The presidents decision was an
nounced tonight from the White
House in the form of letter sent
by him to Mr.. Hines. The president
said that until the employees return
to work and again recognize the au-
thority of their organizations the
whole matter must be at stand
STILL
The presidents letter follows:
81 am just in receipt of the letter
from Senator Albert B. Cummins,
chairman of the senate committee on
interstate commerce, which set me
free to deal as think best with the
difficult question of the wages of
certain classes of railway employees;
and I take advantage of the occasion
to write you this letter, in order that
/ may, both in the public interest and
in the interests of the railroad en-
ployees themselves make the present
situation as clear and definite as pos
sible.
Free to Act.
81 thought it my duty to lay the
question in it's present pressing form
before the committee of the senate,
because I thought I should not act
upon this matter within the brief in
terval Of government control remain
ing, without their asquiescense and
approval. Senator Cummins' letter,
which speaks the unanimous judg-
ment of the committee leaves me free
and indeed imposes upon me the duty
to act.
"The question of the wages Of rail
road shopmen was submitted, you
will remember, to the board Of rail
road wages and working conditions
of the railroad administration last
February, but was not reported upon
by the board until the 18th of July.
The delay was unavoidable because
the board was continuously engaged
in dealing with several wage matters
affecting classes of employees who
had not previously received consider
alton. The board now having ap-
prised us of this inability, at any
rate for the time being to agree upon
recommendation it is clearly our duty
to proceed with the matter in the
hope of disposing of it.
ssYou are therefore authorized to
say to the railroad shop employees
sthat the question of wages they have
raised will be taken up and consider
ed on it's merits by the director gen.
eral in conference with their duly ac-
credited representatives. / hope that
you will make it clear to the men
concerned that the railroad admins
tration can not deal with problems Of
this sort or with any problems af-
fecting the men except through the
duly chosen international officers or
the regularly constituted organiza-
ton and their authorized committees.
Matters of so various nature and
affecting so many men can not be
dealt with except in this way. Any
action which brings the authority Of
of the authorized representatives of
the organization into question dis
credits it, must interfere with, if not
prevent, action altogether. The chief
obstacle to decision has been Gre
ated by the men themselves. They
have gone on strike and repudiated
the authority of their officers at the
sery moment when they were urging
action in regard to various interests.
Men Refuse to Wait.
"You will remember that confer
oncn hetweon yo,1rsaIf and the all