Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-03-05
Wilson's Letter To Heads OF Rail
Unions On Wage Issue.

President Wilson last Saturday sent the
following letter to the chief of the railroad
labor unions who are negotiating for wage
advances:
Gentlemen Your letter of the 14th
instant and the subsequent argument pre-
scented on your behalf with reference to
the subject of pending claims for wage in
creases have had my careful consideration.
The passage Of the railroad bill by the
House Of Representatives on the 2lst in
slant and by the Senate on the 23rd in
slant has made il evident that could not
act upon your suggestions until it should
be determined whether the bill would be-
come law or not. 1t was manifest that
If the bill should become law the nego-
tiation and consideration Of the wage mat
ter ought to proceed in harmony Herewith.
The bill now having become law, the
way is open for immediate action on the
wage matter in accordance.with the terms of
the bill. Section sol of the bill evidently
contemplates that the carriers and en-
ployes should, as suggested by you. select
representatives who will thus constitute
bipartisan board for the purpose Of at
tempting by conference to agree upon
solution Of this wage problem. In accord
ance with the assurance gave last Au-
gust and repeated in substance in my let
ter of the 18th instant. shall at once re-
quest the carriers and the employers to
join in this action. ! believe such step
will 60 far toward clarifying and maturing
the subject for final disposition. In fact
the sort Of board thus contemplated by
section 30l appears to be an appropriate
substitute for the committee of experts
which have heretofore suggested. and in
deed such board will be authorized to
20 further than such a committee could
have gone.
While it is true that the provisions Of
section 307 Of the railroad bill relating to
the labor board will probably also come
into operation as to this wage matter,
nevertheless the bipartisan board can
make a great deal of progress which will
materially diminish the time to be con-
sumed by the labor board and while the
bipartisan board is functioning, the ap-
pointment and organization Of the labor
board can be expedited.
Icannot share the apprehension of your
selves and your constituents as TO the
provisions Of the law concerning the labor
board. believe those provisions are not
only appropriate in the interest Of the pub
lie. which after all is principally composed
Of workers and their families. but will be
found to be particularly in the interest OF
railroad employees as class.
The argument that the public represen-
tatives on the labor board will be preju-
diced against labor because drawn from
classes Of society antagonistic to labor can
and ought TO be overcome by selecting
such public representatives as cannot be
charged with any such prejudices. Nor do
l anticipate that the public representatives
will be against wage increases because
they involve rate increases Not only must
public representatives be selected who can
be relied upon to do justice. but the bill
itself provides that the labor board shall
rates and wages and salaries
which In the opinion Of the board are
lust and reasonable :" and 1t is further
provided that the entire labor board shall
DC guided by the very important standards