Evening star., 1920-02-24
LEGALITY OF R. R.
BILL TO Be PASSED
0NByMR. PALMER
Meanwhile Union Represent
atiyes Debate Presidents
Wage Proposal.

While union representatives OF I,VVV,-
900 railroad employees today debated be-
hind closed doors the position they
should take on President Wilson's
pronosal for a settlement OF their
wage demands, and whether they
should ask him to veto the railroad
bill passed yesterday by the Senate.
announcement was made ct the White
House that as soon as the measure 10
received there ts will be sent to the
Attorney General for an opinion as TO
its constitutionality and legal az
poets.
It is generally expected that the
President will be urged by representa- a
tives Of the railroad brotherhoods to
veto the bill because of its labor pro-
visions, but no hint has come from the
President as to whether he Is inclined
to such action. Though the measure
as passed by Congress and not reached
President Wilson is familiar with its
provisions. having been furnished
with a resume of its contents sew
eral days ago by Director General
Hines of the Railroad Administration.
There will be nothing significant in
referring the bill to the Attorney
General, as this is frequently done
with legislative measures OF an hn-
usual nature.
President Expects to Act.
The law gives the President ten days
from the time a bill reaches him to
sign it or veto it. and II he does not
take one course or the other it becomes
a law at the end of the tenth day. In
this instance the date for the return
of the roads to their owners Is but five
days of. and it Is, therefore. expected
that President Wilson will act on the
bill before March l.
Threats of a break in the affiliated
railroad employees organization. an ar
rangement entered into only ten days
ago for the purpose of meeting the wage
situation, initiated today against i'm
mediate solution Of the questions be-
fore the representatives of tho railroad
workers, comforting on the PRESIDENTS
settlement proposal.
promise of any tangible development
at the second days meetings OF the
Individual groups. In every confer
ence, it was said, demands for an ap-
peal to the President to veto the rail-
road bill continued to grow moro in
sistent. The leaders, therefore, were
confronted with the task Of explain
ing to the local chairmen the basic
reasons for their tentative acceptance
of the Presidents plan. while the lat
ter were utterly dSlAChiHS Tic 6ov-
ernments general policy and the
manner in which it had dealt with
the wage controversy
Combat Radical Elements.
Also, the leaders were forced to COM
bat moves Of radical elements in sew
eral directions. These may take def
mite form at any time. according to
union officials. That the general COM
mitteemen are not by any means united
in favor of the Presidents proposition
was indicated by the fact that tho ex-
euttyes are discussing privately
courses of action to be taken In event
the plan is rejected. The suggestion
was said to have been made by E. ].
Manion, president of the Brotherhood
Of Railroad Photographers. that the
whole controversy be referred 70 tne
general membership
Representatives Of the executives OF
the great railroads OF the country.
which have been in federal operation
for more than two years, have been
at work at the Railroad Administra-
tion for more than four months ia
miliarizing themselves with the
operation under federal control. The
ofices Of the Railroad Administration
in the Interstate Commerce building
at 18th and Pennsylvania avenue will
be moved next week across the street
to the Hurley-Wright building and
the Premier building. where the
liquidation committee will have its
headquarters. with director General
Hines as chief. Brice Clagett, assist
ant to the director general, will re-
main with Mr. Hines for about ninety
DAYS or until May I. when the director
general expects to assume his law
practice in New York.