Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-26
Shopn1en Consider
-Four Cent Raise
Granted Them
WILSON MAKES
STATEN MT

Washington, Aug. 20. - The
committee of one hundred rep
resenting the railroad shopmen
informed Director General
Hines to-day that they could
not accept as a basis of settle
ment of their demands the rates
submitted to them yesterday by
President Wilson.
Results of the negotiations
here we're communicated to the
union locals throughout the
country with instructions that a
strike vote should be taken inn
mediateiy to determine whether
the Presidents proposals should
be accepted.
Pending the issuance of an Of
fetal strike vote, it was urgently
requested by the international
officers that all men should re-
main on the job.
Washington, Aug. &c. - Director
General Hines to-day requested the
board of railway wages and work
ing conditions to take up promptly
any claims that have been made or
may be made by railroad employees
for readjustments that ought to
be made in order to make sure that
equal treatment is done on the basis
of the general principles of wage ad-
justment which the railroad admin
istration has already established
The decision announced yesterday
by which shopmen will receive an
increase of four cents an hour was
said to have been one step in carry
ing out this policy, although it has
been deemed contrary to the public
interest to make general increases
in wage levels to meet present cir
cumstanccS, which are believed to
be temporary. Mr.. Hines explained
that the advance to shopmen was
to give them the full benefit of the
principle of ten hours pay for eight
hours work on which the wages OF
other railroad employees are COM
puted.
Consider Increase
The committee of 100 represent
ing the Shopmen was in session all
morning behind closed doors con-
sidering the decision of President
Wilson and Mr.. Hines on their wage
demands. Members of the commit
tee declined to say whether the con-
sensus of opinion was for acceptance
or rejection of the Presidents de-
cision.
In his letter to the board, Mr..
Hines said it had been "the con-
slant endeaVor since the first wage
adjustments were made by the rail-
road administration to deal fairly
and impartially with all classes OF
railroad employees"
Situation Complex
The situation is so complex that
absolute perfection in this re-
gard is unattainable," he said.
Nevertheless our experience up to
the present time may in all proba-
bility develop that certain relative
injustices may have been uninten-
tionally done and it should be our
purpose promptly to correct these
injusticeS.
The railroad administration has
been firmly committed to the policy
since last September that it cannot
make wage adjustments retroactive
back of a date approximating the
date upon which your board makes
lIS ItpOI DGCiuSe OlIlel "lSS lIlGIc
would be unending confusion and
all effort to get a measure as to the
cost of conducting the railroads at
any given time in the past would
be rendered hopeless. I therefore
hope that your board will be able
to report promptly upon any in
equalities which may be found to
exist. to the end that any correction
which the director general may find
appropriate can y, made effective
at the earliest justitiable date in ac-
cordance with the policy of the rail-
road administration"
The President announced also
that 1t was neither wise nor feasible
at this time, when the most impor-
tant question before the country is
return to a normal price level. to
CONTINUED on Page H.