The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-25
WILSON OFFERS
AGENTS AN HOUR
SHOPMEN RAISE
Pay on Basis of 1O-HOur Day
for s Hours Work.
Wages Would Be Retroactive
From First of May.
ASKED FOR 17-CENT INCREASE
Unions Tell President They'll
Put 1t to Vote.
Meanwhile Director Hines Is In
Conference.
Pay on Basis of 1O-HOur Day
for s Hours Work.
Wages Would Be Retroactive
From First of May.
ASKED FOR 17-CENT INCREASE
Meanwhile Director Hines Is In
a Conference.

Washington, Aug. 25.-Presi-
dent Wilson today submitted to
representatives of the six rail-
road shop craft a proposal to pay
shopmen about a cents an hour
increase on a basis of ten hours
pay for eight hours work, retro
active from May /.
The president told the COM
mittee of 100 representing the
shop crafts that any greater in
crease now would greatly in-
crease the cost of living and
therefore was inadvisable.
They Want IL Cents.
The shopmen are asking a raise OF
II cents an hour. retroactive from
January /.
Certain classes of shopmen. car in
spectors, repair men, who have been
receiving 6s cents and 5s cents. re-
spectively would be paid 81 cents an
hour under the proposed scale.
VIII Submit to Men.
The shopmen's representatives told
the president they would submit the
proposition to their members whose
original demands were an advance Of
rs per cent. The president requested
that the men not act on the original
proposition to have a congressional
committee pass on the wage demands.
A vote of the shopmen on this prop
osition Is now being tabulated.
Hines in Conference.
Rail Director Hines Friday closed
series Of conferences with shop
mems union officials at which the
demands were put up to him by Presi-
dent Bert w. Jewell of the railway
| department. American Federation OF
Labor and. other union heads.
Counting Strike BaIIots.
l. A nationwide vote of all shopmen
! on the question of a strike is being
counted today at headquarters of the
American Federation of Labor. The
polls closed last night midnight.
The ballots contained two Questions.
whether union officials should accede
to the plan proposed by President
Wilson that the demand be heard and
passed upon by a special commission
to be appointed under a law to be
passed by congress. or whether the
men want TO stand on their full de-
mands.
Ballots already counted Indicated a
strong sentiment in favor of strike un-
less the full demands are granted. It
II
Labor headquarters.
Want Reply Confidential.
President Jewell said previously he
feared more unauthorized strikes II an
unfavorable answer should be made
public Immediately.
For this reason he planned to ask
Hines not to make public his answer
until the union have had time to trans
nit IT to the local unions together with
| their recommendations.
IF Hines grants the full demands
we shall make no objections to giving
| the full details to the public i'm
mediately," said Jewell
| The railroad labor situation with
respect to the shopmen became acute
| three weeks ago when Rail Director
Hines received the recommendation
| of the adjustment board on the shop
mems demands that increased living
costs had tremendously reduced the
| buying power of the wages now re-
| ceived by the shopmen
Wilson Stopped Strike.
The members of the board, repre-
| senting organized labor, recommends
| ed an immediate wage increase The
other three members. representing
railroad managers. recommended that
the government try TO avoid an in
crease at this time by taking steps to
reduce prices.
that the whole matter be put up to
congress.
Many shopmen thruout the country
took this to be refusal to grant their
demands and began unauthorized
strikes which ended after President
| Wilson ordered Hines not to reopen
negotiations with the shopmen until