Norwich bulletin., 1919-08-08

eral Hines that he was authorized to take up the demands of railroad shop employ es for higher wages and de- eide them on theIr merits.
 Tho president said that the letter sent him by Senator Cummins, chairman of the committee on inter state commerce. had set me free to deal as 1 think best with the difficult question of the wages e certain classes ot the railroad employees" but added:
 The chief oh~tacle to a decision has been creatsu bv the men them selves They have gone out on a strike ana repuditted the authority of their officers al the very moment when they were urging action in regard to their interests.''
 The presidents decision was on- nouDced tonight from the White House in the form of letter sent by lsiTn 10 Mir. Hines. The president said that until the employees return to work and again recognize the author 1ts or their organization the whole naur- uli,Sf be at a standstill-"
 The presidents letter follows:
 Nj Dcar MT. Director General: l am just .u receipt of the letter from Senator Albert B. Cummins, chair IG%n -sf tle senate committee on inter si sf-- commerce. which set me free to ell ss think with the difficult ques- tGosl cs the wages of certain classes of T-l-'. .T.Lr employees. and l take advan- t-s~c or the occasion to write you this letter. in order that 1 may both in the public interest and in the interests of the railroad employees themselves make the present situation as clear and definite as possible.
 -l thought it my duty to lay the question iE it's present pressing form before the committee of the senate, because I thought I should not act up- on this matter within the brief inter val Of government control remaining, without their acquiescence and appro- val Senator Cummins' letter. which speaks the unanimous judgment of the committee. leaves me free and in- deed imposes upon me the duty to act
 The question of the wages of rail- -oIG shopmen was submitted. you will r--nlcUber. to the board of railroad ages and working conditions of the railroad administration last February bat tSas not reported upon by the board until the sIxteenth of July. The delay was unavoidable because the beard was continuously engaged in Gcaling with several wage matters af- fectinS classes >of employees who had not previously received consideration. The board now having apprised us of thirs inability, at any rate for the time beinE. to agree upon recommends ton. il is ch,arly our duty to proceed with the matter in the hope of dispos ing of it.
 You are therefore authorized to say 10 tine railroad shop employees that the question of wages they have raised wir be taken up and considered on its merits by the director general in 2 conference with their duly accredited representatives. 1 hope that you will make 1t clear to the men concerned that the railroad administration can not deal with problems of this sort or with any problems affecting the men. except through the duly chosen inter national officers of the regularly con- stituted organization and their au- Ihorized committees
 Matters of so various a nature and affecting so many men cannot be. dealt Witb except in this way. Any action which brings the authority of the au tilorized representatives of the or E1nizaticn into question or discredits IL. must interfere with. if not prevent, action altogether The chief obstacle Jc decision has been created by the mer thcHlsrINes- They have gone out DG strike and repudiated the author itv ci ti.air officers at the very mo- menf Ws.rE they were urging action in reE-- tc vaTious interests.
 -H~E E-in remember that a confer eus b tN cen yourself and the au- tao.;szs representatives of the men se-i- -rTanSed at the instance of these r-.7i-sscnLatives for July 2S to discuss stc wage question and the question of e rational agreement but before this conference took place or could take place. local bodies of railway shop men took action looking toward strike u.. the first Of August As a result of this action. various strikes actually took place before there was oppor tunity to act in a satisfactory or con- elusive way with respect to the wages. Tn the presence Of these strikes and Inc repudiation of the authority of the representatives of the organization concerned there can be no considera- tiofI of the matter in controversy. Un- lil the enployeS return to work and again recognize the authority of their 3s~Ia organization the whole matter must De at a standSti0-
 When federal control of the rail- roads began. the railroad administra- tiOn accepted existing agreements be- the several rsilrO>Sz companies and by agreement machinery was created for handling the grievances of the shopnen's organization of all the rail- way< whether they had heretofore had the benefits of definite agree u1erts or not. There can be no ques- tion- therefore, of the readiness of the government to deal in spirit of fair ness and by regular methods with any matters the men may bring to their attention
 "Concerned and very careful ccnsid- eration is being given by the entire government to the question of reduc- ing the high cost of living. I need hardly point out how intimately and directly this matter affects every in- dividuaI in the nation. and if trans portation is interrupted, it will be i'm possible to solve this This is a time when every employe of the railways should help to make the processes of transportation more easy and econom- icnI ra ther than less. and employees rho are on strikes are deliberately delaying a settlement of their wage problems and of their standard of liv- ing. They should promptly return to work and I hope that you will urge upon their representatives the imme- diate necessity tor their doing so.
 -CordialIy and sincerely yours.
 WOODROW WILSON" :.
 Director General Hines notified the