Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-02-15
RAILROAD WAGE CONTROVERSY
 UP TO UNIONS
Committee, at Meeting Febru- ary 23, to Decide on
 Action
PROBABILITY OF
 STRIKE MORE REMOTE
President Assures Workers He Will / Provide Machinery to Deal COmprehensively With Their
 Claims

Claims
 Washington, Feb. 14.-The railroad wage controversy was referred today to a general conference of union com mitteemen called to meet here Febru- ary 23, for final decisions as to whether demands for increased pay will be pressed on the government, or passed on to the railroad corpora tons. soon to assume control.
 Representatives of the 14 unions, comforting with Director General Hines since February 3 and whose spokesmen laid their claims before President Wilson yesterday, have tentatively accepted the White House proposal for tribunal, created eith- CT by law or on the presidents mo- tion, to consider the demands. Final work must come, however, from higher union authority the confer ence of union heads.
 While union leaders feared the ef- feet of further delay on their mem bership, possibility of general strike appeared more remote tonight.
 The president tonight supplemented action of the union leaders with telegram to MT. Barker, calling upon
 
 and to make sure no interruption of transportation occurs" Mr. Will son said he felt sure that the off cials of the maintenance of way un- ion would realize that "you cannot in justice to your membership and citi- zens generally of the United States persist in course which is opposed to your obvious duty to your coun- try"
 Wilson to Barker.
 The presidents telegram to Mir. Barker at Detroit follows:
 Yesterday l addressed to the chief executives of the principal railroad labor organizations, includ- ing the one of which you are presi- dent, message, q copy of which has been transmitted to you at Detroit II have just received response inc dicating the purpose of the organiza- tions generally to conform to the principles of my message, to bring it to the attention of the member ship and to hold conference on February 23, for the purpose of car- rying the matter into effect. I note with surprise and disappointment that your organization is the only one addressed which has not ex- pressed it's concurrence in this method of handling the matter and understand that no advice has yet been received of withdrawal of your strike order which was sent out several days ago. The director gen. eral of railroads explained this sit-T uation to your committee as soon as it presented him advice of the strike order and he has since summarized the position of the government in n telegram to you which I fully en- dorse. I ask you to take at once the necessary steps to withdraw the strike order and to make sure that no interruption whatever to tranS portation ocurs on that account in this critical period.
 T feel sure that you and youra associates upon full consideration will realize that you cannot in jus tice to your membership and the citizens generally of the United States persist in course which fs opposed to your obvious duty to the country, to the direct and specific request of the government and also the attitude of all other railroad las bor organizations. all for the met4 purpose. of objecting to the prccea< ure I have proposed which is the oniy practicable method of obtaining prompt and reasonable settlement pA the important wage questions now pending. also ask you to send mx message and it's inclosure to all your members and give them the cppoE- tunity of cooperating with all thu rest of railroad labor in handlin8 the matter.
 Presidents Pledges.
 Assurance was given union Offirs cials by the president in his prop0s sal that he would provide machinery to deal comprehensively with their claims; he proposed the naming oK commission of wage experts to b. gin compilation of data. The prteiv dent said he was certain it 10 ap-s parent to all reasonable men and WQss men that these momentous queettona: must be dealt with by an ageneys which can continue to function afteN March l." s %
 q wish, therefore" he said, HI announce to all railroad emplcye4 that propose to carry out the fdisS lowing steps: S sS .9;
 q. In the event that in connects ion with the return to private cos@s trol provision shall be made by l9y(I for machinery for dealing with tat5s| road wage matters shall promptlX use my influence and so far as suez law confers power upon me, ehAl4 promptly exercise that power
 bring about the earliest praettt4A3 organization of the machinery thS5 provided. sss
 "2. In the event no such provi1| ions is made by law for deAlinR NH these matters, l shall employ the 1A fluence of the executive to get th railroad companies and the raitx69 employees to join promptly n III creation of tribunal to take u these problems and carry them M \ conclusion. s2 I "3. I shall at once constituke
 committee of experts to take tho d6 ! already available in the vax50 records of the United States reia<
 administration. including the xeSex fr~~x:.~, A x<,,i YS r.A zN Nj s<Szz{9