Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-08-29


truce in such contests until intelligent
settlements can be made and mace oy
mace and effective common counsel.
appeal to my fellow citizens OF every
employment to cooperate In insist
Ing upon and maintaining sucn
truce"
Mr.. Wilson's statement was issued
In connection with the decision OF HIM
self and Director General Hines on
demands by railroad shopmen for
26 per cent. advance in wages, but the
general policy pronounced covers
ALSO the wage demands Of other hum
dreds of thousands Of railroad WORK.
ers. which are pending before the
director general or about to he pres
ented. It is to be expected that other
unions trying to obtain more pay will
be asked, as the shopmen, to play their
mart with other citizens in reducing
the cost of living by foregoing tenn
: oorary advantage which would add TO
transportation costs.
Announced to Committee.
The decision of the president and
the director general was announced to
a committee Of 100. representing the
shopmen. In reply to their demands
for q rs per cent. increase. the shopmen
were asked to accept an adjustment
OF their pay to the basis OF ten hours
nay for eight hours work, which they
contended was given other employees
and denied them when the t.damson
law became effective. This means
an advance of the basis pay from ss
cents to 72 cents an hour. whereas an
increase of II cents to 2s cents an
hour was denfaSded:
In view of@the delay Of the railroad
administration board on wages and
working conditions in reporting on the
demands of the shopmen, Director
General Hines recommended that 'he
new rate Of pay Re made retroactive
from May /, although the board re-
port was made July 16. the date OF
report generally being taken As the re-
troactive date.
Under the new scale Of wages ma
chinists, tool makers. boiler makers.
>riveters, blacksmiths. sheet metal
workers and electricians. all Of whom
now receive IS cents an hour. will re-
ceive 72 cents. Helpers will receive
40 cents an hour instead OF the present
wage Of 4s cents.
Acting President Jewell Of the rail-
->way employees department of tic
American Federation Of Labor and his
advisers said they would communicate
the, decision to the union locals for ac-
ceptance or rejection. A strike vote
completed yesterday but not yet tab
ulated, was on the question or
whether the men should quit work
to enforce consideration Of their de-
mands by the railroad administration
instead Of by q congressional commits
sion as first suggested. AS this plan
was abandoned, the vote, whatever its
result. is non effective and the shop
men now have an entirely new ques-
ton before them
The questions they were asked by
President Wilson. through their COM
mittee to consider, "in new light"
I'VE are face to face with situa-
tion." the president said, (which Is
more likely to affect the happiness
and prosperity and even the life OF
our people than the war itself.%
He thereupon outlined the govern
ment's efforts to reduce prices and
the need for assisting these efforts by
the stimulating production and main
tanning transportation.
A general increased level Of wages
might defeat at its very beginning
the president said. Il believe that
the present efforts to reduce the cost
of living will be successful If no new
elements Of difficulty are thrown in
the way. l confidently count upon the
men engaged In the service Of the
railways to assist. not obstruct. They
are good Americans along with the
rest Of US. and may. am sure. be
counted on to see the points.
May be Readjustment.
1T goes without saying that If our
efforts to bring the cost Of living
down shall fall It will be Of course
necessary to accept the higher costs
as a permanent basis Of adjustment,
and railway wages should be adjusted
along with the rest"
Mr.. Hines recommendation to the
president as to the amount of in
crease to be given went exhaustively
into the reasons advanced by, the
shopmen as to the necessity for more
pay. He showed that the average in
crease in shopmen's earnings was in
excess Of the total increase in the
cost OF living from July 1, 1915. and
August 1. 1919. due to the fact that
naturalization adopted at the re-
est Of the employees had given
kousands a higher classification and
higher pay than they previously en-
joyed.
Wages paid for similar work in
shipyards. which workers the shop
men have cited as higher paid Mr..
Hines said. were higher because the
work was temporary and carried on
under great pressure and also the
workmen were forced to live In con-
gested districts where living was ex-
tremely high. while railroad shopmen
generally have the advantage Of small
or semi-rural communities. Private
industries. the director general found