The sun., 1919-10-23
HINES COMPELS
EXPRESSMEN TO
RETURN TO JOBS
Director Forces Surrender
by Threatening to En-
ploy Troops.
WAGE DECISION NOV. 4
Vote to Go Back Follows Re-
port of Committees Trip
to Washington.
WAGE DECISION NOV. 4

Walker D. Hines, Director General
OF Railroads, told a committee repre-
senting the striking chaufreurs and
drivers Of the American Railway Ex-
press Company in Washington early
yesterday morning that unless the
strike was declared of and the men re-
turned to their work within forty
eight hours he would send enough
troops Of the United States Army to
New York to operate the trucks and
protect transportation.
As soon as the members of the COM
mittee reached New York late yester-
day afternoon they called q meeting Of
the strikers, which voted unanimously
to return to work at once at the old
scale of wages. All night men who do
not report for duty before o'clock to-
night and all day men who are not on
the job before 6 o'clock tomorrow
morning will be dropped from the COM
pany rolls.
Thomas ]. Lyons. business agent OF
local No. s45, told the striking teamsters
and chauffeurs of the ultimatum OF Di-
rector-General Hines. He said the COM
mitteee had been in conference with Mr..
Hines for two hours, and that there was
no doubt that the Director General
neant what he said.
He told US he already had seen the
Attorney General and was ready to call
for troops," said Lyons. He told us
that II we went back to work the report
OF the Wage Board would be handed in
/ on November 4, and that he would make
. an immediate decision on our demands
for a {25 n month increase, an eigh,
hour day and time and a half overtime =
Foar Test of Strength.
Lyons pointed out that since the Rail.
road Administration had taken over tn,
express companies two years axo the
employees had organized 100 per cent
strong. something they had never sue.
ceeded in doing before. On December 81
| the express companies will be returned
| 10 their private owners and II would not
pay, Mr.. Lyons said. to run the risk OF
! having their union disrupted by a fight
with the Government He hinted that
the private express companies would like
nothing better than to see the organizs
ton broken up before resuming contro
OF the service the frst of next year.
l Lyons said further that Director Gen.
eral Hines was In sympathy with the
men and promised II the settlement 1,
not entirely satisfactory. he will dc
everything he can to make 1t right Mr.
| Lyons then referred to the mail han dler,
strike which the Government broke
Fifteen of its leaders a<e now serving
sentences in the Federal Prison at At
lanta, he said.
! Other members OF the committe,
backed up Lyonss statements. Alber
Poss said II the men sat tight they
were going to have control OF the sit
uation, and could prove It" when the
private owners took charge
T. e. Shaunessy OF Boston, who also
| attended the Hines conference. said tn.
Director-General had emphasized tn,
fact that II 1t came to n fght those mer
who did not return to work within q
limited time would be dropped from tho
company rolls.
Threatens to Use Army.
AS to tho threat made by strike lead.
ers recently TO spread the strike to ever,
city in the East, Hines stated that ht
would use the whole United States Army
IL necessary to carry on the express ser.
vice, Mr.. Shaunessy declared.
Michael ]. Cashel. first vice-presiden,
of the International Brotherhood o.
Teamsters. remarked that Director
Hines had made q special effort to Civ,
the New York expressmen every consid
GRAFTON. His conference with tht
strikers was an exceptional concession
Mr.. Cashel said, and added he felt thor
oughly convinced that the Director Gen
ersi WAS going TO take caro- OF them
As to the contention that tho port anc
terminal workers in New York harbol
we're treated better than the express
men when they struck two weeks ago
Mr. Hines claimed that this case wa.
settled by the War Department, anc
even then, he said. Il was a blunder
and several officials had since been dis
missed because of It.
After listening TO the report OF theil
leaders a vote was taken. Tho motor
to go back to work this morning wal
passed with only a few scattered mem
bers voting against It. Al the offlce!
of the express company officials sait
that they would wait until this morning
to make sure that the strike was owe,
ana then the embargo on express ship
Iments to and from New York would b,
lifted. It will take four or five day
for the traffic to become normal again
they said