Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-04
Hines COnfers
With Rail Workers

Continued From Page One
and TO make a definite reply imme-
diately.
"When that reply is received Mr..
Forester said, ''if it is not Of the ma :
ture that goes along with the PROPOSE
ton we have made it will be put out to
the employees Immediately for their ac
ton
"Thc pressure from the employees for
n vote on the answer Of the railroad ad
ministration is strong, and if the de-
mands arc not quickly granted, judging
from the temper of the employees, they
are likely to follow the lead Of the
shopmen.
Seel, Immediate Relief
TT costs the railroad clerk with n
family Of five as much to live as it does
n locomotive engineer with his family.
Our members are in the same trap eco
nomically as the other railroad workers.
"And we join with them in demand
ing that unless something be done ma e
terially to reduce the cost of living our
wages must be raised to give us imme-
diate relief"
The House Interstate Commerce
Committee today voted. to :. to re-
port out the Cummins railroad bill, +,
which restores to the Interstate Com
merce Commission the right to make
rates during the remaining period Of
federal control.
The bill was amended by the commit
tee to provide that there shall be no
change in intrastate rates until they
have been provided by the state com
missions.
The fight which the railroad brother
hoods have organized. in an effort to
force through Congress the adoption of
government ownership of the railway
systems, with the railroad employees
sharing in the profits. will be carried
to the people. This statement was
made by Warren S. Stone, president of
the brotherhood OF Engineers. The
constituents of senator's and rcprescn-
tatives who oppose the proposed legis-
lation will be appealed to against these
representatives
''Within sixty days" he added, "Sen
ators and Congressman will have heard
from at least | 900 900 of their constit
uents, and that will be only the be-
ginning. We are going to carry this
fight to all parts of the nation and it
may become the big presidential issue"
Says Labor Demands Change
Two phrases in the statement issued
yesterday over the signatures of Mr..
Stone and other railroad brotherhood
presidents, one to the effect that the
railroad men were in no mood to brook
the return of the lines to their former
owners and the other that labor was
determined that there must be a
change. were brought to Mr.. Stones
attention.
Il do not like to talk in sensational
terms, but we are walking ON a very
thin crust. he continued when asked
about the danger of nation wide
strlke. IF there are to be higher
wages under present conditions, rates
must go up, and that would serve to
keep up living costs
There is point where the American
people will stand no more. and if prices
90 much higher that point viii be
reached. But unless living costs are
brought down radically we must have
more waco 1t is an endless chain and
spells disaster. The adoption of our
plan Will provide the Surcst rnathod for
bringing about rational conditions"
Would Seize Storage Food
Representative Kelley, of Pennsglva =
mia, is planning n resolution putting
1t up to Congress to authorize the
seizure of all nonperishable food in stor-
age and its sale to the people on the
same plan that surplus army food will
be distributed beginning August 1S.
Charges that profteering and hoard
ing have been going on to an extent
which has served to create market
built on false values have been pouring
In upon officials here and have been
called to the attention of the President.
1t is said that the President has fOrmu-
lated definite ideas about what ought to
be done and that soon after the COM
mittee of three renders its report to him
he will go before Congress and the ma =
tion with an announcement couched in
no uncertain terms.
Administration Program
Administration officials are silent re-
garding their food program, but it is
TepTtSeutcu uutHofithtlNtly US assuming
the following form:
First. "Breaking'' of the wheat
prices to lower the price of bread and
by forcing decreases in other grains
to exert an influence in many and
varied forms of food production.
Second. Resort to all existing stat
utes and a recommendation for new
legislation by Congress, If necessary,
to "break" the ring Of spectators
In foodstuffs. especially that band of
traffickers which deliberately allows
fruits and vegetables to rot in order
to maintain prices to the consumer.
Third. Prompt action on Kenyon
Kendrick bills, which propose the
complete separation of the packers
from the grocery and canning busi
ness. and strict regulation of the
meat packing industry through
licensing system.