Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-08-15
TELLS HINES TO
END RAIL STRIKE
President InStruCtS Director Gen.
eraI to Fix Wage of the
Workers.
DECIDE DEMANDS ON MERITS
Wilson Insists, However, Men Must
Return to Work First-Action
Taken After Committee Decides
Legislation Unnecessary.

Washington. Aug. 9.-President Will
son took the railroad wage crisis into
his own hands and told the striking
railroad shop employees to go back to
work if they wanted their demands
for increases considered.
His request for legislation having
been regarded as unnecessary by the
senate committee on interstate COM
merce, the president said duty had
been imposed upon him to act and he
did so in no uncertain way in letter
to Director General Hines, which, in
effect, orders railroad strikers back to
work and to obey the authority of
their national organizations.
The president notified the director
general to inform the railroad shop
men that their demand for increases
would be considered on its merits, but
that:
Until the employees return to work
and again recognize the authority of
their own organization the whole mat
ter must be at standstill."
The president also said, referring to
the careful consideration" which the
administration is giving to the high
cost of living, that this was a time
when every employee of the railways
should help to make the processes of
transportation more easy and econom-
ical rather than less, and employees
who are on strike are deliberately de-
laying settlement of their wage prob
lem and of their standard Of liv-
ing"
"They should promptly return TO
work." the presidents letter to Direc-
tor Hines said, land / hope that you
will urge upon their representatives
the immediate necessity for their do
ing So"
81 hope that you will make it clear
to the men concerned that the railroad
administration cannot deal with prob
lens of this sort, or with any problems
affecting the men, except through the
duly chosen International officers of
the regularly constituted organizations
and their authorized committee.
when federal control Of the rail-
roads began the railroad administra-
ton accepted existing agreements be-
tween the shopmen's organizations
and the several railroad companies
and by agreement machinery was Gre
ated for handling the grievances of
rhe shopmen's organization of all the
railways, whether they Heretofore
had had the benefit of definite agree
ments or lot.
''There can be no question, there
fore, of the readiness of the govern
ment to deal in a spirit of fairness
and By regular methods with any mat
ters the men may bring to their atten-
ton.
Concerted and very careful consid-
GRAFTON is being given by the entire
government to the question of reduc-
ing the high cost Of living. / need
hardly point out how intimately and
directly this matter affects every indi-
vidual in the nation, and If transporta-
ton is interrupted, it will be impossi-
BILE to solve it."
Immediately upon receipt Of the
presidents letter Director Hines urged
the strikers to return to work in the
following letter:
washington, D. c., Aug. 9.-Exec-
utive Council, Railway Employees De
rartment, American Federation of La
Dor, B. NJ. Jewell, Acting President
Dear Sir: inclose letter l have Just
received from the president relative to
the wage matter. 1t is obvious that 1t
is of the highest Importance. not only
in the interest of the public but in the
interest of the employees themselves,
that they shall Immediately return to
work.
1.-THE situation having been clarified
by the definite indication that congress
does not wish to take action in the
premises, the railroad administration
stands ready to take up the wage ques-
ton on its merits with the duly accred-
tied international officers and their au-
thorized representatives as soon as the
employees return to work.
walker D. HINES.
| director General of Railroads."