The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-12-26
TO FORCE R. R.
WAGE QUESTION
Employees to Urge Increases
Before Roads Are Re-
leased.
"ALL NEWS TO STONE
All Shippers to Discuss Pend
ing Railroad Legis-
lation.
AALL NEWS" TO STONE

Washington, Dec. 26.-Ratlroad
employees will press their demands
for increased wages before the roads
are returned to their private owners.
It was announced today that the
chiefs of the four railroad brother
hoods have been called to Washing
ton to meet tomorrow or Sunday
with the heads of Aha railroad unions
affiliated with the - ierican Fedora
is said that SO s action will be
taken to force % e increases be-
fore the roads, q s eturned March l.
"All Ne s to Stone. ~
Cleveland, q !. bee. 26.--T"It's~> all
news to me-" = Warren s. St0ne.
grand chief d Sic Brotherhood of
Locomotive + s ieers. today. when
told of a re- * from Washington
that the ra. : d men will press
their wage d !. ads before the roads
are returned private ownership.
II have not been advised of any
meeting in Washington and have nc
present plans for going there to dis
cuss such action"
Shippers to Meet.
Chicago. Dec. 26.-Representa-
tives of organizations Of shippers il
all parts 0f the United States will
meet here Dec. 80 to discuss rail.
road legislation now pending In con.
lgress, it was announced today. Th'
conference will plan course of ac.
tion to be taken on behalf of ant
for the protection~ of the shippini
public. Phases of the Cummins bill
and the Esch bill effecting shippin,
interests will be the chief matter
discussed.
Patience Exhausted.
Announcement was made at tn
American Federation of Labor head
quarters that the. brotherhood chiei
! had been invited by telegraph to Joi
with the head of the railroad unior
and that it was expected that the cor
ference would be open tomorrow.
, "Our patience is about exhausted
said w. II. Johnston, head of the II
ternational machinlsts' union. which II
| cludes railroad shopmen. "Our me
| are underpaid and they will leave sins
ly or in groups unless wage increas'
are granted"
} The railroad shopmen are to hRye
) conference with Directors General En-
either tomorrow or early next week
} | discuss their demand that wages
I view of the contemplated return or q
: railroad strike, although they indlcat
Q Gated that the shopmen would not a
pcept any plea that they withhold tne
| demands until the government has III
ther opportunity to reduce the cost
\ living. ,,
I Bert M. Jewell, head of the railw
! employees department of the Americ
n Federation of Labor, said thar iapo
attitude toward the return OF the ra
;. roads would be threshed out in q co
h issereflsc with Samuel Gompers,a pre-
4 l~sasnt saf-- tie hnerican Federation
= I. abor. sailed for Dec. ~.
b Reluctant to Predict.
, Leaders today were reluctant 10 pl
D. dict that there would be gene
d railroad strike, although they lnalca'
d that they believe such possible II wor
o ing conditions are not improved peI'
e the roads go back to their private oW
= ers. ,, .,
- Some labor leaders here believe u
:, the return of the railroads on MAJ
1 will be to their advantage, for u
lie are confident that unless congress
n acts strong protective legislatlon u
the government will be forced 10 u
10 the railroads back again TO saws IN
Y from bankruptcy. Some leaders II
' mated that there might be a strike
L the purpose of forcing the goVerhln
"a TO resume its control of the raliroa
IL Glenn E. Plumb will attend the c.
l. ference of the brotherhood chiefs
pr The heads of the railroad unions OF
=, American Federation of Labor.