The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-08-04
rail CLERKS TO
VOTE ON STRIKE
Grand President Declares Ref
erendum on Strike Will
Be Taken.
HINES CALLS CONFERENCE
Heads of big Four" Broth
erhoods Asked to Talk
-" IL Over.

Washington, Aug. 4.-rhe railway
Clerks. freight handlers, express and
station employees are planning action
similar to that taken by the shopmen,
1t was stated today by ]. ]. Forester,
grand president of the Brotherhood
OF Railway and Steamship Clerks,
Freight Handlers, Express and sta
ton Employees.
A refcrcndum--in effect, a strike
ballot-he said, will be taken up on
whatever reply the railroad admins
tration makes pending demands for a
wage increase and better. working
conditions. The organization com
prises $4,000 members.
Demands for forty four hour
week, overtime and 80 cents an hour
increase in wages have been made
and the brotherhood expects definite
reply Immediately. he added.
Wait for Reply.
when that reply is received" Mr.
Forester continued, 'if it is of the
nature that goes along with the prop
osition We have made, it will be put
out to the employees Immediately fol-
their action. The pressure from the
employees for a vote on the answer OF
the railroad administration is strong
and If the demands are not granted
and quickly granted, judging from
the temper of the employees, they are
likely to follow the lead of the shop
men.
1T costs the railroad clerk with a
family Of five as. much to live as II
does a. locomotive engineer with his
family. Our members are. in the
same trap economically as the other
railroad workers, and we join with
them in demanding that unless some
thing be done materially to reduce
the cost of living our wages must be
raised to give us immediate relief"
Conference Called.
All railroad union officials now in
Washington were asked by Director
General Hines to meet with him at
noon today for a conference on the
nlPn COSl OF HNlDg.
Jewell, following the conference
with Director Hines, was to go to the
White House to present the shop
mems case directly to the president
and express their reluctance for a
creation of a wage commission to
take up their demands. The appoint
sment was arranged by Jewelrs re-
quest. '"
Besides the chiefs of the engineers
and railway trainmen who already havt
made demands for increased wages tC
meet high living costs. It was .expectet
that the heads of the other two broth
erhoods and the organizations of the
shopmen and clerks would attend the
meeting. Thus majority OF the
1000. 900 railroad workers would bt
represented.
Mr.. Hines expected to explain the
plan which he suggested to President
Wilson to have congress create COM
mission to go into all phases of rail
road wages. This plan was. proposed
to congress last week by the president
AS chairman of the committee ap-
pointed by, Atty. Gen. Palmer's con-
ference on means to reduce the cost OF
living. Mr.. Hines is in close touch with
plans under consideration to bring
about normal level of prices and
relieve the distress of the average citi-
zen. IL was Salu tOday tnat tne ulrec-
general devoted the whole of Sun
day to considering the cost of living
problem, going over many suggestions
made by Assistant Secretary Letting
well and Commissioner Colver. the
other two members of the committee
A report to the conference will be
made tomorrow at the second meeting
of cabinet members and other officials
called together by Mr.. Palmer and
recommendations arc expected to be
transmitted soon to President Wilson.