Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-12-26
RAIL ROADS TO
Be RETURNED TO
OWNERS MAR. |
President Makes Proclama'
tion-Notice Gives Time
To Prepare for
The Change.

rortation and property OF whatever
find taken or held under such fed
cral control and not heretofore re-
l:nuuished and restore the same TO
;i,e possession and control OF their
respective owners.
walker d. Hines, director gen.
eral of railroads, or his successor IN
Office is hereby authorized and d.
rected, through such agent and agen-
cies as he may determine, in any
manner not inconsistent with the
provisions of said act Of March !,
1918, to adjust. settle and close all
matters, including the making OF
agreements for compensation and
all questions and disputes OF what
soever nature arising out OF or IN
cident to federal control, until other.
wise provided by proclamation OF
the president or by act of congress
and generally to perform as fully in
all respects as the president is
authorized to do all and singular
the acts and things necessary or
proper in order to carry into effect
this proclamation and the relinquish-.
ment of said railroads, systems OF
transportation and property.
"For the purpose of accounting
and for all other purposes. this
proclamation shall become effective
on the first day of March, 1920, at
1901 a. m.
IN witness, whereof. I have here
unto set my hand caused the seal
of the United States to be affixed.
"Done by the president, through
Newton D. Baker, secretary OF war,
ii the District Of Columbia, this
oath day of December, the year OF
our Lord. one thousand, nine hun
bred and nineteen, and of the Inde-
pendence of the United States OF
America, the one hundred and
forty-fourth.
a(signed) WOODROW WILL
SON. by the president; Robert
Lansing, secretary of state: Newton
d. Baker. secretary OF war"
Hines Sends Wire.
Director General Hines sent the
following telegram tonight to all
officers and employees Of railroads in
federal control:
"The proclamation which the pres
ident has issued fixes March | as
tile date for transfer of the railroads
back to the possession and control
OF the railroad companies. l ap,
peal to every officer and every EN-
-pioye to redouble his efforts to pro-
duce the hest and the most econom-
ical railroad service possible during
the remaining period q federal con-
troll.
During the unusually heavy bust.
ness of the past few months and the
extraordinary difficulties created by
the coal strike, the officers and en-
p!oyes have done especially fine
work, 50 that with more confidence
than ever before, / express the hop,
that all az US will give the very bes
account of Ourselves in this remain
ing period in our common interes
and in the public interest. l extent
tc all Of my comrades in the railroad
service and their. families my sincere
wishes for merry Christmas ant
happy New Year"
Makes New Wage Problem.
President Wilson'S proclamation
returning the railroads to private
control March I lends a new aspec
to wage problems now before Di
rector General Hines.
In the opinion Of raitfoad admin
istration officials. the president!
order, made public last night, shoult
tranquilize the labor situation, mas
much as the time of government
control Is extended by two ful
months. Union officers who hav
been pressing for. a settlement o
their demands before the roads wen
back on the supposition that tn