Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-08-08
PUTS RAIL WAGES
UP TO CONGRESS-
Wilson Asks Special Commission
to Pass on Increase of
sso0,000,0OO.
Requestes Speaker GiiIett Of Body to
Postpone Its Recess Until Definite
Action 10 Taken on the Rail-
Wage Question.

Washington, Aug. 4.-Preadent
Wilson asked congress to create a
special investigating commission to
pass on the wage increases asked by
the railway shopmen and other rail-
way employees.
The president forwarded to Senator
Cummins and Representative Esch,
chairmen respectively of the house
and senate interstate commerce COM
mittees, the proposal made originally
by Director General Hines and asked
that provision be made for representa-
ton of both labor and the public on
the body.
The president asked congress to
stipulate, in its legislation, that If
wage increases are allowed under its
award, it should be mandatory on the
rate-making authority to increase rail-
road rates enough to meet the ad-
vanceS.
President Wilson asked Speaker Gil
lett of the house to postpone its re-
cess until definite action was taken
on his request that congress set up a
committee to pass upon wage in
creases asked for by railroad en-
ployees. An identical letter wos sent
to Representative Mondell, the Repub-
lican floor leader.
Director General Hines Informed
the president that inasmuch as the
increases being asked by ali classes
of railroad workers aggregated $780,
100000 a year, he hoped something
might be done to reduce the cost of
living as an alternative. because he
doubted that his powers were sufi-
! cient to increase rates enough to meel
the vast sum.
Mr.. Hines also asked that the rail-
road administration be allowed to con-
tinue to handle questions of rules and
working conditions. saying these could
not be satisfactorily separated from
the current handling of railroad oper-
ations.
President Wilson wrote the commit
tee chairman that he concurred in the
view of Mr.. Hines that the legislation
undertaken should authorize the body
thus set up to make It's findings with
regard to wage increases retroactive
to the 1st of August, 1919, at any rate
to the extent that the tribunal may
regard reasonable and proper, in or
der to give real relief to the en-
ployees concerned"
L. F. Shepherd, chief of the Broth
erhood of Railway Conductors, ac-
companied by national officers Of that
organization, called on President VIII.
son to discuss with him the conduc-
tors recent demand on the railway
wage commission for wage increases
averaging 35 per cent.
The delegation told the president
the conductors were obliged to ash
for the increase because during tbs
last six years their wages had faller
below the price of necessaries to the
extent of 35 per cent.
IAN increase of 35 per cent would
put the conductors exactly where they
were six years ago." Mr.. Shepherd
said, 'and even at that time we fell
we were not fully paid"
Reference was made by one member
of the delegation toe the recent actor
of the italian government in cuttinl
the cost of food so per cent in tha
country, to which the president wal
said to have replied that no such dras
tic action could be taken under tn,
laws of the United States.
On leaving the White House Mr.
Shepherd said he had been given t,
understand that the president, in deal
ing with the situation, was limited t,
the enforcement of laws already OF
the statute books.