The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-27
States $4,000 Shopmen Refuse
Wilson'S Wage Award.
Z. s. Officials Are Hopeful for
Favorable Vote Over Nation.
COUNT BALLOTS IN few DAYS
Labor Heads Doubt Whether
Men VIII Abandon Demands.
ShOpmen's Course Key to En-
tire Rail Labor Situation.

Cleveland, o., Aug. 27.-The esti-
mated $4,000 organized railroad work.
ers in Ohio will reject by an over
whelming vote, President Wilson's Of
fer of cents an hour increase, ac-
cording to reports here today from
railroad shops thruout the state.
In only a few cases did representa-
tives of the workers refuse to COM
ment on the compromise raise offer.
The others frankly announced their
hostility to the proposition.
Union officials in Columbus, where
four thousand Pennsylvania line shop
men are employed. said a canvass of
the men indicated a unanimous vote
against the offer. Shopmen in other
yards were reported in the same frame
of mind.
Railroad workers in Cleveland. To-
ledo, Canton, Alliance, Cincinnati and
other railroad centers indicated their
dissatisfaction with anything but a full
agreement to their wage demands.
Washington. Aug. 27.-Government
officials and labor leaders here today
were waiting indications of the effect
! on the rank and file of American
! labor of President Wilson's plea for
a truce in industrial disputes.
With President Samuel Gompers, of
, the American Federation of Labor.
due in Washington to attend a meeting
of the federation'S executive council
tomorrow, it was predicted that the
situation will come to a head before
| the end of the week.
Moves Being Watched.
Moves which were eagerly watched
here were:
The vote of 100000 railroad shop
men on President wilson's proposal
| that they accept an increase of four
cents an hour and abandon their orig
inal demands Of a wage increase OF
approximately % per cent so as not
to interfere with the governments at
| 2-What course railway trainmen.
/ conductors, and other rail unions will
take now that It has been indicated
| that their demands viii meet the same
answer as that given the shopmen.
/ 3-Whether union steel workers,
| whose committee is in New York seek
ing a conference with steel magnates,
will push their efforts now or await
normal conditions, as the president has
g. S. Officials Hopeful.
Officials of the railroad administra-
ton were extremely hopeful today that
the shopmen's strike would be averted.
They pointed out that shopmen lead
ers here were inclined toward an i'm
mediate strike after the presidents re-
| lection of their wage demands. After
| considering the matter over night,
however, the leaders decided to COM
ply with the presidents request that
! the matter be re-submitted to the men
and the letter sent out calling for the
new vote pointed to possible difficult
ties in the way of strike now. Of
ficials believed the same reaction will
show itself among the shopmen them
selves.
| Labor leaders doubted. however,
/ whether the shop workers will aban-
don their demands even at the instance
of the president since their previous
vote just completed showed they were
almost a unit for striking IL the de-
mands were refused.
First results of the vote are expected
to begin coming into headquarters
here within the next few days.
Key to Entire Rail Situation.
The course finally decided upon by
the shopmen is expected to greatly af-
feet the course taken by the other
railway unions. some Of whom are ex-
pecting an answer to their demands
J by next week.
The decision in the case of the steel
workers is expected to rest almost
wholly with the federation executive
council since the federation itself
started the steel workers unionization
move at its recent Atlantic City con-
1 vention.
Director General Hines has noti-
fled the shopmen that the four cent an
hour increase offered by the president
will be effective from May 1, 1919.
Saunders Again Talks Strike.
Chicago, Aug. 27.--Railway shop
men of the Chicago district will meet
next Sunday to discuss President VIII
sons offer of a cent wage increase
The meeting was announced today
by John D. Saunders, secretary OF
the Chicago district shopmen's coun-
ell, who said the men could not af-
dicted a nationwide strike next
| month