Evening journal., 1919-08-08
WILSON BARS RAIL
MEN.AS STRIKERS
By Wslkout They Repudi-
ated Authority of Own
CT icers

]
I The railroad employees until an of them
return 10 work Flat notice 10 This ef-
/ feet was served on them last nlght In
letter made public at The White House
by the President
The letters in full follows:
"My Dear Mr.. Dlrector-Generals
! ~ ann lust I'M receipt OF the letter
from senator Albert y, Cummlns. chair
Imam OF the Senate Committee on In
/ torsiaie Commerce, which set me free
10 deal as 7 think with the dinlcult
question uf The wages of certain class
es NJ railway employees. and ] take
advantage OF the occasion 20 write YOU
this letter. IN order that ! may both
I'm the public interest and IN the In
forests NJ the railroad employees
themselves make the present situation
as clear and definite as possible,
II thought II my duty To lay The
question IN lis present pressing form
before the committee Of The senate. be-
cause I Thought I should not act upon
lhis matter within the brief interval
of Government control remaining,
without their acqulescence and ep-
proval. Senator Cummlns's letter,
which speaks the unanimous Judgment
Of the committee. leaves me free and
indeed imposes upon me Che duty TO
act
"The question of The WAGES Of rail-
road shopmcn was submitted. you VIII
remember. 90 the board Of railroad
wages and working conditions or tho
railroad administration last February,
hut ,,ns not reported upon by The board
until the 10th OF July The delay was
unavoidable because the board was CON
llnuously cngaaed in deallng. with sew
oral wage matters affecting classes or
employees who had not previously re-
celyed consideration. The board now
having apprisod az ~ this Inability.
al any rate for The time belng, TO agree
npon recommendation lt b. clearly our
duty 90 proceed with The matter In the
hope OF disp0sIng OF 90.
''Nou are therefore authorized 10 say
10 the railroad shop employees That the
question OF wages they have raised VIII
be taken mp and considered on It's merits
by the director general IN conference
with their duly accredited representa-
TVS. ] hope that you VIII make i clear
10 the men concerned that The railroad
administration cannot deal with prob
lenis Of This sort or with amy problems
affecting the men, except through the
duly chosen international officers az the
regularly constituted organization ana
their authorized committees.
Matters OF 30 various nature ann
affecting SO many men cannot be dealt
with except n This way. Any action
which brings lhe authority of the au-
horized Representatives OF The organl-
zation into question or discrcdiis IT,
must Interfere with. if not prevent, ac-
/ ton aliogcihcr The chief obstacle Ia
a decision has been created boy the men
themselves. They have gone ont on
strike and repudiaicd The authority ol
their officers az the very moment when
/ they were urging action In regard TO
various interests.
you viii remember that confer
ence between Yourself and The author
lzod reprrsenialiVfS az lhe men was
arranged al ihc instance or These rep
resenlaiivcs for July ~ 30 discuss the
wage question and thc question OF a
national agreement but before his
conference took place ar could take
place local bodies Of railway shopmen
took action looking toward strike on
me ist of August
AS a result Of this action various
strikes actually took place before there
was am opportunity TO aci IN a. salts
factory or conclusive way with respect
10 the wages. In The presence of these
strikes and ihe Reputation OF The au-
ihoriiy Of the Representatives OF the
organization concerned there can be no
consideration OF the matter in contro-
versy. Until the employed return 10
work and again recognize The authority
OF their own organization The whole
matter must he at slandsiill,
when Federal control of The rail-