The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-07
Immediate Settlement Wage
 Questions Der<and of Unions
General Programme to Meet Crisis, Involving Threat of Nationwide Strike, Is Submitted to Director General Hines
By Asscclatsd Press

By Associated Press
 Washington, August G. Acting as a unit for the first time in the presentation of wage demands, the IA princi- pal railroad unions today in expressing to Director General Hines their disapproval of President Wilson's proposal that Congress create com- mission to consider increased pay, declared that wage ques- tions must be settled immedi- ately.
 ., general programme 10 meet the present crisis, involving the
 threat of a nationwide strike. was submitted to the director general. It was suggested that the money to provide increased pay should come from appropriation by Congress, to be followed by appro- priate freight rate advances. This
 temporary relief must he accom- panied by determined effort to reduce the cost of living. Permanent solution of the railroad problem was declared to depend upon the removal of returns to capital s the sole purpose of operation and the director general accordingly, Was asked to recommend to President Will b pt tA n a F V passage by Congress of organized labors bill to eliminate private cap ital from control of the railroads and to give the employees share in the profits The unions declared the be- lief of the workers that transporta- tion rates should be sufficient to guar antee just wages. maintain the prop- critics and give equitable returns on money invested
 TWO MILLION BACK DEMANDS
 Interesting as were the suggestions for removing the menace of a nation wide strike. the unified action of the 14 crganiza tions attracted equal at tenton Labor leaders who were qucs- toned declined to say whether the unions would act as whole in the fu- ture. but declared they were going through with the present situation as one body.
 The result will be to put the
 solid weight of 2,000,0OO persons.
 virtually the entire rail trans
 portation personnel of the United
 States, back of the demands, with
 the possibility as never before of
 the paralysis of the nations life
 if a general strike should ensue.
 Cooperation between the four great herhoods-engineers firemen, con ductors and trainmen-for the first time several years ago. proved the power of united action in passage of the Adamson act.
 The present situation was said to be similar, but infinitely more danger ous Not only are the four brother hoods involved, but all the other unions also which have to deal with maintenance of equipment and the moving of trains.
 CAN'T TOLERATE DELAY
 The programme submitted to Direc- tor General Hines declared that the employees were entitled to compensa- tion which would at least "establsh the pre-war purchasing power of their wage" Rates of pay, it was sai1. were in no way correlated to trans portation charges. The plan for congressional commission was dsap- proved because '.it means months of delay at time when the questions in- volved required immediate settlemen.,, the programme said, continuing:
 "You already have in the board of railroad wages and working condi- tions the necessary machinery to dis pose of these questions, and we ask that their function be restored and they be allowed to pass upon the ques- tions submitted to them, and that their findings be placed before-the repre-. sentatives of the recognized organiza- tions for their consideration and be mutually agreed upon before being is- sued
 '-The moneys with which to pay these increases should. in our opinion,
 (Continued on Page Three.)