The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-08-15

higher wages and decide them on their
| merits.
Strikers Chief Obstacle.
The President said that the letter
sent him by Senator Cummins, chair
man Of the Committee on Interstate
Commerce, had "set me free to deal
as think best with the difficult ques-
ton Of wages Of certain classes of
railroad employees" but added:
"The chief obstacle to decision
has been created by the men them
selves. They have gone out on a
strike and repudiated the authority of
their officers at the very moment when
they were urging action in regard to
their interests"
The Presidents decision was an
nounced from the White House in
the form of letter sent by him to
Mr.. Hines. The President said that
until the employees return, to work
and again recognize the authority Of
their organization the whole matter
must be at a standstill."
The Presidents Letter.
The Presidents letter follows:
My Dear Mr. Director General:
Il am just in receipt of the letter
from Senator Albert B. Cummins,
chairman of the Senate Committee on
Interstate Commerce, which set me
free to deal as l think with the diff
cult question of the wages of certain
classes of railway employees, and
take advantage of the occasion to
write you this letter, in order that
may, both in the public interest and
in the interests of the railroad en-
| ployes themselves, make the present
situation as clear and definite as pos
sible.
Il thought it my duty to lay the
| question in its present pressing form
| before the committee Of the Senate,
because L thought should not act
upon this matter within the brief in
terval of Government control remain
ing without their .acquiescence and
approval. Senator Cummins' letter,
which speaks the unanimous judgment
| of the committee, leaves me free and
indeed imposes upon me the duty to
act.
"The question Of the wages Of rail
road shopmen was submitted, you will
remember, to the Board Of Railroad
Wages and Working Conditions of the
Railroad Administration last Febru-
airy, but was not reported upon by the
board until July is. The delay was
| unavoidable because the board was
continuously engaged in dealing with
several wage matters affecting classes
of employees who had not previously
received consideration. The board not
having apprised us Of its inability, at
any rate for the time. being, to agree
| upon Recommendation, it is clearly our
duty to proceed with me matter in
the hope of disposing OF it.
To Deal With Union.
"You are therefore authorized to say
to the railroad shop employees that the
| question Of wages they have raised
will be taken up and considered on it's
merits by the Director General in con-
ference with their duly accredited
representatives hope that you will
make it clear to the men concerned
that the Railroad Administration can
not deal with problems of this sort, or
with any problems affecting the men,
except through the duly chosen inter-
national officers Of the regularly con-
stituted organization and their au-
| thorized committees.
Matters of so various nature and
affecting SO many men cannot be dealt
with except in this way. Any action
which brings the authority of the au-
thorized representatives of the organ
ization into question or discredits it,
must interfere with, il not prevent,
action altogether. The chief obstacle
to a decision has been created by the
men themselves. They have gone out
on strike and repudiated the authority
Of their officers at the very moment
when they were urging action in re-
gard to various interests.
you will remember that confer
ence between yourself and the author
lied representatives of the men was
arranged at the instance Of these rep
resentatives for July % to discuss
the wage question and the question of
national agreement, but before this
conference took place, or could take
place, local bodies Of railway shop
men took action looking toward a
strike on August 1. AS result of
this action, various strikes actually
took place before there was an OPP
| portunity to act in satisfactory or
conclusive way with respect to the
wages. In the presence of these
! strikes and the reputation Of the
authority of the representatives of
She organization concerned. tAere can
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