Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-03-03
DEFINITE MOVE 10
 END RAILWAY WAGE CONTROVERSY BEGUN
Union Representatives Agree to Give New Act
 Trial
SHOP MEN ALONE IN
 REFUSAL TO HELP
questing They Name Repre- sentatives for the Bi-Par-
 tisan Committee

Washington, March 2.--Definite steps were taken today toward set clement of the railorad wage contro- versy which has been pending since last August. Representative of rail- road workers with the exception of one group agreed to cooperate with the government and the railroads in giving a trial fthe new transporta- tion act with it's arbitration clauses and President wilson in letters to both the association of railway exc ecutives and heads of the fifteen workers organizations, requesting that they select representatives to sit on the bipartisan wage board. Prompt action was urged by the president in order that the negotia- tions between the employer and em- ploves might not longer be delayed
 The one group of workers which has not entered into the agreement to Ego along with the president ,' was the Brotherhood of Mainten- ance of Way Employees and Shop Laborers, which recently withdrew from the conferences between union heads ad the railroad administra- tion Committeeman fro mthe locals of the Maintenance union, however. will meet in Chicago Thurseday, and it was believed would follow the lead of the other workers in compliance with MT. Wilson's request.
 In a statement tonight explaining their position the union spokesmen declared that while they could not approve of the transportation act they had agreed oaid in giving the law trial Gin the interest of rail- road labor" and "as American citi- Zens.
 Notwithstanding the fact that labor in general and railroad labor in particular with the full coopera- 1 tion and support of other bodies re. presenting American citizens, urged the congress not to pass the railroad bill, and the president to veto it. and return it to congress" the union statement said, i've are now official 1 lv advised the president has signed the bill and it is the law.
 Strike Prospects Remote. l "Labor's criticism and protests against this legislation as matte, record and represented to the con. rress the president and the public We have not changed our views ir regard to this legislation and there fore do not endorse the law; how ever, as American citizens, we fee that in the interest of railroad la
 bor there is nothing left for us to dc at present except to cooperate 1T the creation of the machinery pro vided for in the law.
 "In the case of the Brotherhood
 of Maintenance of Way Emplove! and Shop Laborers. this organization has not been duty authorized witt
 representatives in this last confer encc" /,
 The president in his letters sait he had turned over direction of thu preliminary wage negotiations t.
 Director General Hines who was en
 trusted with details of the winding
 up : of government control by thu president in his proclamation turl
 backt he roads. Both railroad exc
 cutive and the union heads were ask
 ed to notify the director general o their representatives on the boar and were informed that MT. Hine would arrange for the first meeting , at which be determined all question of procedure.
 Agreement of the unions to giv . the law a thorough trial was re garded as making remote prospect : of a strike. Certain groups of tn ? union membership, however, wer keenly disappointed and may yet as : sert their disapproval of and opposi
 tion to the law by strike votes, bu this possibility was expected to b l eliminated when full explanation Q
 the leaders action is received by tn t rank and file of the more than tw million workers