The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-15

Warrington, Feb. 1A-frcSsdent
Wilson'S proposal to the vs. million
rAnrpaA employees OF the country in
xugwer to thAtr demands tor wage
increases was made public today at
the WHITE House. It was tentatively
accepted by representatives OF the
sAsn
In connection with ne proposal.
which In brief is a promise TO create
q tribunal somewhat similar to that
which Is now considering the demands
OF the coal miners. the president de-
clares himself against any strike Of
railroad employees at this Tina
His reference was 10 the brother
hood of maintenance OF way employees
which already had called q strike.
This became evident tonight when II
was announced at thu White House
that the president had sent to a. T.
Barker. OF Detroit, president Of the
brotherhood. q reques. that the strike
order be revoked.
In treating with The brotherhood
heads yesterday the president said:
II have the right 10 request. and
I do request thai any railroad or
gant-ation which has a. strike order
outstanding shall withdraw such or
der frrnsilatety ard await the orderly
solution 81 thfs ssess4oa
The president, In his letter to the
men proposed three steps which he
announced he VIII carry out as fol-
lows.
-"1-Iu the event thai In connection
with the return to private control
provision shall be made by law for
nachinery for dealing with railroad
wage matters shall promptly use my
influence, and 50 far as such law con
fers power upon ME. / shall promptly
exercise that power. To bring about
the earliest practicable organization
of the machinery thus provided,
PIN the event that no such pro-
vision is mad by law for dealing
with these matters, I shall employ rhe
influence of THE executive TO get the
railroad companies and the railroad
employees to Join promptly in the
creation Of Il tribunal to take up these
problems and carry thena to a con-
clusion.
"5---I shall at once constitute q
committee OF experts TO take the data
already available in the various
records OF the United States railroad
administration. including the records
Of the Lane commission and of the
board of railroad wages and working
conditions ana to analyze the ga me so
as 10 develop in the shortest pos
sible time the facts bearing upon a
rust and reasonable basis ef wages
for the various classes at railroad
employees with u regard to all fac
tors reasonably bearing upon the
problem and specifically to the fac
tors OF the average OF wages paid for
similar or analogous labor for other
industries in this country, the COS OF
living, and a fair living wage, so as
to get the problems in shape for the
earliest possible final disposition. The
views OF this board will serve az
a guide 10 me in carrying oct the
assurance / gave to the employees last
summer that / would use the full in
nuence of the executive TO see that
Justice was done them and will, I be-
iieve, be d OF avoiding VIVA
might otherwise be a long drawn out
Investigation of facts. While I pro-
pose to aet-at~eaes~in regard TO this
matter and to avoid any delay In
doing SO l shall, nevertheless invite
the cooperation OF the railroad cor
pora-on and believe they will APP
preciate that it is to their interest,
~ well as to the public irtcraec -
get these matters proCaDty s~*FETa1.
URGE QUICK aeye,t,E
i. In reply to the presidents settor
tho brotherhood representatives. urge
upon him the Immediate r<.,,ssaity al
creating q special tribunal aat; bass
their tentative accepsanrn c1 this
proposition or its rastscasion by rop'
r~esentatives a. ali branches Of rstt-
road representatives who hare been
asked to meet in Washington on INA.
ruary 20. At his time n vote veil
acubtiessly be taken on the presidents
plan.
The representatives of the workers
are = unit In emphasizing to the pres
ident the necessity for immediate re-
lief and they therefore request thai
he pat lsewai1 llgessisllaattjop bN aaanggess
but act now. TIE letter on this point
says:
I'VE feel justified IN saving that we
do not believe that railroad employees
Witt willingly accept any plan which
contenpiates. delay.
1T is our carnast conviction that
the situation warrants us in urging
that 0 promptly indicate to rail-
road tabor tha. you VIII cerate by
agreement a special tribunal TO deaI
with this Specific and important prob
lem.
with 4 full realization of our re-
s~ronkibiftty. however. we have de-
-ctADdAtn submit 10 our eonetituaneles
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