The sun., 1919-10-30

duction. Open top cars have been used
primarily for coal. and all loaded cars
have been recovered promptly on de-
livery. ALI Of the railroads have a
standing order TO recover cars not longer
than two days after delivery. If con-
signees do not unload them The railroad
will do so. Cars will be dumped wher-
ever they are and started back to the
mines.
To further this campaign Director
General Hines issued orders to-day in
creasing the minimum car loading ca
pacity for grain, to secure heavier load
ing, thus saving car space. In general
the order provides that car must be
loaded to It's full space capacity to OBJ
tain the carload freight rate. II II is not
SO loaded less than carload rates will
apply. Mr.. Hines said to-day that a
strike will not halt railroad operation.
The railroads will be kept running and
coal will be taken wherever necessary to
move trains. He expressed the view
that II a general strike results 1t will
affect from IS to 90 per cent Of the coal
mines Of the country and not the 90
per cent generally believed.
Rail Wage Conference Postponed.
A conference among w. G. Lee. rep
resenting the railroad trainmen; Timoth,
Shea, representing the Firemen, and Di-
~ector-General Hines. on the wage ana
working condition demands of these or.
ganizations was postponed until to-mor-
row. The brotherhood men called to
get their answer from the Director-Gen
erai on the demands made last July,
Mr. Hines told them he was not yet
ready to give his decision. for the reason
that he needed further data from the
Board on Wage and Working Condt
tions.
So far as can be learned. there Is as
| vet no authority for insistent reports thai
the brotherhoods are about 10 make gen
eral wage demands with a strike threat
to enforce them. When before the hoard
on Wages and Working Conditions Shea
| insisted upon giving data on general. in
creases for the fremen, saying that the
! board would soon have to considep -sucli
demands from all of the railroad brother-
hoods and that they intended to enforce
4 them.
When the President inaugurated his
cost OF living campaign Director-Gen
| eral Hines instructed the board to the
| effect that he could not consider any
recommendations for general wage in
creases on the railroads. but would
make all adjustments TO iron out In
equalities and would give careful con
sideralon to working conditions. The
railroad workers agreed to wait res'
sonable time on the cost of living cam
paign, and have consistently indicated
ninety days az a reasonable time. Tho
ninety days will be up early In Novem
| Der.
The wage board has made several re
ports, a majority and a minority report
| and one from the labor section. II II
not definitely known whether the iabol
| report recommended generally increased
wages Despite the report of alignmen
| of the railroad workers with the Goa
miners officials express the opinion thai
no labor disturbance on the railroads II
to be looked for.
Through it's investigating agencies thu
Government is in close touch with thu
situation in all of the coal fields of thu
country Information received at thu
Department of Justice Is regarded as th'
basis of optimism on the part OF ofr
cials that even In the event OF strik'
a great many men will remain at worl
when assured OF full protection from thu
Government,