The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-13

T0 SETTLE THE CASE
ON IT'S MERITS
Strikers Notified That No Ac-
ton Will Be Taken Until
They Return to Work

Washington, August President
wilson tonight notified Director Gen
eral Hines that he was authorized TO
take up the demands Of railroad en-
pioyees for higher wages and decide
.fon their demands. The president SAID
:lthe letter sent him by Senator Cum
=raiTs. chairman Of the committee on
interstate commerce, had set me free
to deal as I think best with the dlf-
fcult question Of the wages of certain
classes of the railroad employees,
b;,i. 9ded: The chief obstacle 10 q
decision has been created by the n'cn
themselves. They have gone on. on
a strike and repudiated the authority
OF their officers at the very moment
when they were urging action IN re-
gard to their interests"
The presidents decision was an
snounced tonight from the Wh1te
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 au-
fherity of their organization the whole
matter must be at standstill.
The Presidents letter follows:
81 am just In receipt of the letter
from Senator Albert B. Cumnllns,
chairman Of the senate committee or
interstate commerce, which set me
free to deal as I think best with the
difficult question Of the wages OF
certain classes Of railway employees,
and I take advantage of the occasion
to write yon tbs letter ir order tcst
Il may, both nthe public interest ana
in the interests Of the railroad en-
p1oyees themselves make the present
situation clear and definite as pos
sible.
Free to Act.
81 thought it my duty to lay the
question in its present pressing form
before the committee Of the senate,
because I thought I Should ao1 act
upon this matter within the brief IN
ferval Of government control remain
ing without their acquiescence sand
approval. Senator Cummins' letter
which speaks the unanimous Judg-
ment 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 th
railroad administration last February
hut was not reported upon by the
board until the 10th. Of July. The de-
lay was unavoidable because the board
was continually engaged in dealing
with several wage matters affecting
classes of employees VINO had not
previously received consideration.
The board now having appraised us
of this inability, at any rate for the
time being to agree upon recomnen-
dation it is clearly our duty to pro-
ceed with the matter in the hope OF
disposing Of it.
"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 its merits by the director general
in conference with their duly accred-
tied representatives. I hope that You
will make it clear to the men concern
ed that the railroad administration
cannot deal with problems Of this sort
or with any problems affecting the
men except through the duly chosen
International officers or the regularly
constituted organization and their au-'
: fhorized committees. Matters Of so va
1ious nature and affecting so many
men can not deal with except IN this
way. Any action which brings the
authority Of the authorized represen-
tatives Of the organization into ques-
ton discredits it, must interfere with
if not prevent. action altogether. The
chief obstacle to decision has been
created by the men themselves. They
have gone on strike and repudiated
the authority of their officers at the
very moment when they We're urging
action in regard to various interests
Men Refuse to Wait.
"you will remember that con-
ference between yourself and the au-
thorized representatives Of the men
was arranged at the instance of these
representatives for July 2S to discuss
the wage question and the question
Of national agreement. but btfore
this conference took place or could
slopmen took, action looking toward
a strike on the first of August. AS
result vf this action. various strikes
actually took place before there was
an opportunity to act in a satisfac-
tory or conclusive way with respect to
the wages. In the presence of thees
strikes and the reputation of the
authority of the\ representatives OF
the organization concerned. there can
be no consideration Of the matter in
controversy. Until the employees re-
turn to work and again recognize the
authoriey Of their organization. the
wLo,c matter must he at a standstill.
when federal control of the rail
roads began, the railroad admins
tration accepted existing agreements
between the shopmen's organization
and the several railroad companies
and by agreement machinery was Gre
ated for handling the grievances IT
the shopmen's organization Of all the
railways whether they had hereto