Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-13
SPOKESMEN FOR
RAIL employees
To HOLD FARLEY
WITH PRESIDENT
Representatives Of Two Mil
lion Railway Men to Con-
fer With Wilson Today
About Increase in Wages.
UNION LEADERS FEAR
REFUSAL AWAITS THEM
ChieftainS Are Not At All
Certain That Their Re-
quests for More Money
viii Be Granted Now.

IBY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WIHEl
Washington. Feb. 12.-President
Wilson will be asked tomorrow by
spokesmen for the more than g.
100000 railroad employees that def
mite assurances be given of an i'm
mediate reduction in the cost of
living, leaders in the wage nego-
tiations declared tonight. AS an
alternative the union representa-
tives will claim increased wages,
demands for which were not press
ed at Mr.. Wilson'S request last
summer.
Representatives of the workers,
il was intimated tonight. base their
hope for higher wages largely on
the increase in the cost of living
since the last general wage in
crease in 1918. The cost of living
question, while always to the fore
in the negotiations which the union
men have had with Director Cen
eral Hines, will be employed to the
full extent of the unions power in
the conference with the president,
1t was indicated.
Immediately after the announce
ment from the White House that
the president would see union
committee of three personally, q
meeting of all union heads inter-
ested in the controversy was called
and preparations were begun for
possible presentation of verbal
claims in amplification of the writ
ten statements submitted through
Mr., Hines. The employees will be
represented by B. M. Jewell, act
ing president of the railway em-
ployes department, American Fed
Grafton of Labor; E. ]. Manion,
president of the Order of Railroad
Telegraphers, and Timothy Shea,
acting president of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen. The conference will
be held on the south lawn of the
White House. where Mr.. Wilson
spends a portion of his mornings.
There was unmistakable evidence
tonight among the union officials
OF fear that the president would
refuse to grant their wage de-
mands. A few said frankly they
could see no hope of settlement
favorable to them. Their view
seemed to have been based on the
arguments offered in rebuttal by
Mr.. Hines as the union leaders pre-
sented new statements or pro-
posals.
Director General Hines. In trans
mitting data on the controversy to
Mr.. Wilson today, was understood
to have made suggestions" rela-
tive to a final disposition of the
pi oblems.
The director general in his con-
ferences with the union heads told
them that he could not grant their
demands because of the early ter
mination of federal control and ex-
planned that passage of pending
legislation was expected to set up
machinery to provide impartial
and unbiased" handling of the
wage claims. The unidp argu-
ment to this was that they were
thus compelled TO face another de
lay with no assurances of relief.
While the controversies with the
other unions were quiescent be-
cause of a switch in the center of
interest from the railroad admins
tration to the White House, Mr..
Hines conferred with representa-
tives of the Brotherhood of Main
tenance of Ways Employees and
Shop laborers, who have called j
strike of their 100000 members
Tuesday, officials of the Brother
hood of Railroad Station Employees
and members of the Longshore-
mems union.
The conference with the main
tenance of way workers resulted
practically in placing their de-
mands in the same category with
those now before the president, Mr..
Hines told the committee frankly
that he could not agree to their de-
mands for higher pay at this time,
but informed them of his willing
ness to leave the case open pending
decision of the president.
Differences between the railroad
administration and the station en-
ployes and longshoremen were un-
derstood to have been settled sew
eral weeks ago but Mr.. Hines told
them at that time he would dis