The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-07
Rail- UNIONS ACTING
As UNIT IN DEMAND
ware Increase Call Presented
as by Single Body for
First Time.
100000 BACK THE MOVE
solution of Problem Said to
Depend on Removal Of Re-
turns to Capital.

w.sHrSeroN, Aug. 6. - Acting as q
,,u for the first time in the presentation
:, wage demands. the fourteen principal
abroad unions to-day. In expressing te
p,r.ctor-G General Hines their disapproval
:, President wilson's proposal that Con-
,r..s create q commission to consider
,,cr,ssed pay, declared that wage ques'
,,ons must be settled Immediately.
general programme to meet the
,r...nt crisis, involving the threat Of 9
rstouwide strike, was submitted to the
Y,r,ctor-General. 1t suggested that the
nancy to provide increased pay should
con. from an appropriation by Congress-
a. b. followed by appropriate freight
,,,, advances. This temporary relief
must be accompanied by determined
mort to reduce the cost Of living.
Permanent solution OF the RAILROAD
,rob,em was declared to depend upon
me removal Of returns to capital as the
ala purpose Of operation, and the Di-
rsctor-C General, accordingly was asked to
recommend TO President Wilson that he
,,,smpt 10 obtain early passage by Con-
rress OF organized labor's bill to elimi-
,ate private capital from control Of the
,.iIroads and to give the employees q
,hare in the profits. The unions declared
M belief of the workers that transpor-
,ation rates should be sufficient to guar
,ntee lust wages, maintain the proper
t,s and give equitable returns on money
Invested.
Interesting as were the suggestions
for removing the menace OF a nation
vide strike, the unified action Of the
fourteen organizations attracted equal
attention. Labor leaders who were ques-
toned refused to say whether the unions
would act as q whole in the future, but
declared they were going through with
IN present situation as one body. The
result will be to put the solid weight OF
100000 persons, virtually the entire
rsA transportation personnel Of the
United States, back Of the demands.
with the possibility as never before Of
ths paralysis Of the nations life II a
general strike should ensue.
Brotherhoods to Cooperate.
Cooperation between the four great
otherhoods-engineers, hremen. con-
ductors and trainmen-for the first time
several years ago proved the power of
united action In passage Of the Adam
con Act
son act
SIMILAR but Infinitely more dangerous.
Not only are the four brotherhoods in
Vowed but all the other unions also
which have to deal with maintenance OF
equipment and the moving of trains.
The programme submitted to Director
General Hines declared that the en-
pOyees were entitled to compensation
which would at least reestabltsh the pre-
war purchasing power OF their wage.
Rstes Of pay. II was said.s were IN no
way Correlated to transportation
charges. The plan for a Congressional
commission was disapproved because
1t means months of delay at "a time
when the questions involved require i'm
mediate settlement" the programme
said continuing:
You already have In the Board of
Railroad Wages and Working Conditions
the necessary machinery to dispose of
these questions and we ask that their
function be restored and they be al
lowed to, pass upon the questions sub
mitted to them, and that their findings
be placed before the representatives OF
the recognized organisations for their
consideration and be mutually agreed
upon before being issued.
The moneys with which to pay these
Increases should, in our opinion, be
raised by an appropriation by Congress,
hh appropriation to be OF sufficient
amount TO temporarily take care of i'm
mediate deficits. In the meantime let
the proper rate making body make a
careful study as to what, IL any, IN
ceases should be made in passenger
and freight rates, prompt action In
this regard being both essential and de-
srable This will only give temporary
relief and must be accompanied or i'm
mediately followed by n determined
united effort to not only prevent a fur
tner Increase in the cost of living but
% secure a reduction therein