Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-08-08
WILSON APPEALS
To The HOUSE
President Puts Rail Wage Ques-
ton Up to Congress.
MEN ASK $500, 100000 RAISE
Speaker GilIett Is Requested by the
Chief Executive to Postpone Re-
cess Until Definite Action Is
Taken on the Question.

Washington, Aug. president
Wilson asked congress to create u
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.
. Higher Wages, Higher Rates.
The president asked congress to
stipulate, in it's 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 adj
vanceS.
President Wilson asked Speaker Gill
lett of the house to postpone its re-
cess until definite action was taken
on his request that congress set up
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 all 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, suffi-
Gent to increase rates enough to meet
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 0per-
atoms.
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 LIST 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"
Conductors See Wilson.
L. f. Shepherd, chief of the Broth
erhoOd of Railway Conductors, ac-
companied by national officers of that
organization, called on President Will
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 ask
for the increase because during the
last six years their wages had fallen
below the price of necessaries to the
extent of 80 per cent.
"An increase of 35 per cent would
| nut the conductors exactly where they
were six years ago." Mr.. Shepherd
said, land even at that time we felt
| we were not fully paid"
Reference was made by one member
of the delegation to the recent action
of the Italian government in cutting
| the cost of food so per cent in that
country, to which the president was
said to have replied that no such dras-
| tic action could be taken under. the
laws of the United States.
On leaving the White House Mr..
Shepherd said he had been given to
understand that the president, in deal
ing with the situation, was limited to
the enforcement of laws already on
the statute books.