Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-08-29
Hines Statement


Washington. Aug. 3--A1 the railroad
administration Director General Hines
made public the following
To Public Officers Railroad Officers
and Employees. and Citizens generally
N California, Arizona and Nevada:
a strike is IN progress on the part
OF the train and englnernen and yard
men ON the steam railroads being o.
Grated by the United States government
m parts of California Arizona and Ne
va1a- This strike began al Los Ar
seles purely as sympathetic strike
ON account of a controversy between
the Pacific Electric Railway Co. and
certain employees of that company. The
property Of the company is not in the
possession or control of the government
Of the United States. The strike of the
employees On the steam railroads WIS
entezed upon without any grievance be-
Ing presented or alleged The strike
was. and lis. a violation and -epudia-
ton Of the agreements between the
striking employees and the steam rail-
roads upon which they worked and also
Of the nat .onal agneement between RI:
Emitted States railroad administration
and the chief executives of the ORGAN
izatinns 10 which the strikers belong.
SUCH national agreement providing for
the adjustment of all causes of COM
pizInf m an orderly manner without
suspension of work. The strike in also
an illegal strike under the laws of the
organizations TO which the strikers be-
long and has been SO characterised by
the chief executives of those organizes
tiong.
The chief executives Of these organ-
.zHtirns STATED that they believed they
could induce their men to go back To
work and urged that they be given
time TO enable them To do this. The
railroad administration has given the
time fpr this purpose. The director
general has alsn. by publication in tts
newspapers Of San Francisco and Los
Angeles. urged uppn the strikers the
absence Of justification fur their action
and the Importance uf returning q
work.
"Nevertheiess many OF the strikers
have mot yef returned 10 work and tn
large extent the public service whic1
the government muet render To the pun.
lie is at a standstill. II follows tina,
the only course which the government
can adopt il To exercise irs entire powe,
for the purpose Of rendering the pntiis
service. and the President has no in.
strucfed.
All striking employees WIN do not re
port for duty On and after : ofrlork On
Saturday morning. Aug, gofh. when an
as called for nuty. will he regarded a
having ferninRrsd their ernpIpvmes,
and tfleir places viii be filled
Anyone VIM inferferes with or I'm
pedes TIM possession, use. operation q
control uf any railroad property or rail
ruad rnrier federal cnntroi commits ~
uffenEe against the government OF IN
United States punishahie BY fne a'in
tuaurisuumenf. and win be arresAen Az
uruEer,,fed accordingly Anyone WIZ
t.,,.rr.,rtx mr. arfnra<s parsons assisLins
- .rs..unrtfr 10 assfsr m the pos
-. nm. ppsrxfion or control OF anv
-, .,,urisr eeieraa control viii be
,,.,,,,,, ~ ts,e offsnse. aesr-tbed and will
=. ,s-.rt wffa accordingly Anyone who
..,,-e-rrs. ar refnris tine passage pf the
rsaa1 or any vehicle or persnn carrying
-. rnvue .sA>-&fss cxrnr.t-x an uff~us-S
arxfrnf TIM Emitted Statas puuiEhatse
by f1ne and Imprisonment and WIN Be
ARRESTED nnn psnsecuted acrnrainr4v.
Insfrnctinns hnre hsen inEzasc 10 the
unffad 9fn1ns 1ixfr1rt atr0rneys ana TO-
the unitsd Btafs nuarshals N take the
fesntinasd un pnus -csi. %