The Connecticut labor press., 1920-03-06
RAILROAD WAGE BOARD
 TO SETTLE DISPUTES

Organ1ZeO haDOr Agrees duu
 Drops Agitation Against New
 Law "As Good American Citi-
 zens."
 Co-incident with the return of the railroads of the country to their pr1- yate owners this week, President Will son put into operation plan whereby in the future the railroad workers will have a say in adjusting wage disputes and which provides for bi-party and non-partisan discussion ot railroad wage and other problems. The railroad workers, following the Presidents pro posal, dropped their agitation against the operation of the new railroad laws and will give them trial, meanwhile carrying out the Presidents. suggestion for bipartisan board.
 The Presidents action IS intended to settle all labor controversies III the tu- ture. In letters to the Association ot Railway Secretaries and to the railroad workers organizations he asked them to name members of the bipartisan wage board. which under the act IS to include employers and employees, and will try to settle pending wage disputes without having them referred to the labor board also authorized by the new leglslahon. It is evident from the Presidents let ters that he wishes the bipartisan board to begin work as soon as possible. Inc probabilities are that both the railway employees and railway executives have already decided upon their representa- lives. While no definite number from either side is stipulated, it is presumed that tine railway employees will appoint at least IA in order that each of their organizations shall be represented. The railway executives are expected to name six or seven men as their delegates.
 The railway employees have capitulated 10 the law and will make no further protest against it, they announced m statement Wednesday. Only one union, the United Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes and Railway Shop Laborers, failed to sign the announce ment. This body at meeting m Chi cago on Thursday joined with the other organizations.
 The action of the unions removes the strike clouds which have been lowering in the horizon ever since the nam tenance of way employees insisted that their wage requests must be acted upon The announcement states that while the railway employees still consider the Cummins-Esch act obnoxious, they have decided that "as American citizens we feel that in the interests ot railroad labor there Is nothing for us to do at present except to cooperate W1tH eacn other III the prompt creation of the ma chinery provided for in this law.
 The statement was made after ses- sion of three days during which the action of the President in signing the bill was freely discussed, and, 1t IS sald, with warmth. Samuel Gompers' an- nouncement from Miami that there was nothing now to do except to abide by the provisions of the act IS supposed to have had profound effect and to have influenced the conservative element even more strongly in its fight to keep the lid down on the.more radical spirits.
 The letter of President Wilson to the labor organizations was as follows:
 "The White House,
 March 1, 1920.
 "Gentlemen: In my letter of Feb. ZS to the executives of labor organizations relative to the wage demands which your organizations have been pressing, I said referring to the new transporta- ton act:
 "sThe bill having now become law the way is open for immediate acton on the wage matter in accordance with the terms of the bi1l Section 30t of the bill evidently contemplates that the carrlers and employees should, as suggested by you, select representative who will thus constitute a bipartisan board tor the purpose of attempting by conference to agree upon a solution of the wage prob lem. In accordance with the assurance gave last August and repeated III sub stance in my letter of the 18th inst, shall at once request the carriers and the employees to join in this action.
 2" believe such step will go far to- ward clarifying and maturing the sub feet for final disposition. In fact, the sort of board thus contemplated by Section 301 apears to be an appropriate substitute for the commission of ex- perts which I have heretofore suggest ed and indeed such a board will be authorized to go further than such a commission could have gone.
 While it is true that the provisions of section 307 of the Railroad bill re lating to the labor board will probably also complete operation as to this wage matter, nevertheless, the bipartisan board can make great deal of progress which will materially diminish the time to be consumed by the labor board; and while the bipartisan board IS function 
 ing the apointment ard organization o1 the labor board can be expedited
 "I, therefore, request that your or ganizations select such number of rep resentatives as may seem appropriate to them to conduct the conference and negotiation contemplated by section 3Ol. to the end that such representatives may promptly meet in conference with the representatives selected by the rail road companies in accordance with the request I am making of them, and may thus initiate the necessary proceedings
 "I shall be obliged<if you will advise the director-general of railroads as to inc representatives selected as here re- ouested. As soon as he receives such advice and advice as to the represen- tatives selected by the railroad com panies, he will arrange for all such representatives to begin their confer ences, and at such conferences ques- tions of procedure can be settled and any question that may be raised as to whether the number of representatives of either the employees or carriers IS sufficient can also be dealt with.
 "I enclose copy of my letter ot this date to the chairman of the Association of Railway Executives.
 Sincerely yours,
 WOODROW WILSON.
 "Messrs. R. M. Jewell w. s. Stone,