The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-02-10
ALL R. R. men
MAY QUIT, IS
OFFICIAL FEAR
Negotiations Characterized as
Most Serious" While
Maintenance Men Get
Ready to Go Out.
WILSON IS TO Be TOLD

WASHINGTON Feb. 10-Wage ne
gotiations of the railway employees
with Director General Hines reached
a critical stage today and insofar as
the brotherhood of railway trainmen
IS concerned, strike loomed unless
pending demands are satisfactorily
settled.
Besides this, white house and rail
road administration officials regard
"as most serious the railroad situa-
tion precipitated by the order for a
strike for Feb. II, issued by officers
of the brotherhood of maintenance of
way employees.
Secretary Tumulty was to see
President Wilson today to lay before
4, him the matter, emphasizing the pos
psibility that this strike may be the
opening wedge for great strike of
all railroad employees should the wage
demands be refused by Director Gen
eral Hines, at his conference with
union officials now in progress.
Mr.. Hines is understood to have con-
ferred with Secretary Tumulty for
more than three hours last night, out
lining the situation for presentation
to the president.
w. G. Lee, president of the union,
has served notice on Mr.. Hines that
his men are very inSiStent and must
have definite answer soon" To this
Mr.. Hines replied that no statement
of position could be made until he
again had talked to the whole body
of labor representatives.
Mr.. Hines made a tentative appoint
ment with Mr.. Lee for late today to
consider the trainmen'S demands.
Railroad administration officials
understand that a strike vote is being
taken by the trainmen. 1t was admit
ted that MIR. Lee had informed the
director general on Jan. % of the
unions intention to invalidate its
wage agreement on the prescribed Sc
days notice. On that basis. it was
presumed that he required an answer
to reiterated wage grievances by Feb
23, less than a week in advance of the
. roads return to private control.
1t is understood that Mr.. Lee has
not the aggressive support of the
other train operators union in enforc-
ing the wage demands with the strike
wea pon. Most of those attending the
conference here, however, We're silent
On this question. but some of the
brotherhood leaders held that they
should first receive Mr.. Hines full
EItpcSdl before ucltilnlHiuS luelT
future course.
! The threatened strike of trainmen
aGd the strike order issued by the
brotherhood OF maintenance of way
employees has created situation
which officials regard as critical.
DETROIT, Mich, Feb. 1O---Execut
ave officers of the United Brother
hood of maintenance OF way employees
and shop laborers We're going ahead
with strike plans today while com
mittee of heads of various divisions
of the union were enroute to Wash
ington where they will make a final
effort, if called into conference by
Director General Hines, TO avert the
walkout on Feb. Il, of nearly 300 ,00(
railway workers.
Allen +. Barker. president of the
brotherhood would make no statement
carly today in reply to the assertion
Fbyy Mr.. Hines that the strike call VIC
lated the unions wage agreement bu
he recalled that a strike was voteC
last fall set for Nov. |. and that il
had been twice postponed since the1
in the hope that an agreement nigh
be reached on a new wage scale, o.
that the government might be able tC
lreduce the cost of living.
"The cost of living continues Il
rise" Mr.. Barker said, land we are
convinced that the railroad admins
tratiOn does not intend to grant in
creases in wages unless forced to dc
so. 1t is ridiculous to think that tn,
government employing these Ameri
can faborcrs who are raising Ameri
can families would force them to worl
for an average wage of 35 cents al
hour while the same class of laborer
throughout the country employed
n elsewhere are making up to 81 al
hour and while many railroads ar,
bringing Mexican laborers into thi.
country and paying them % to a
per cent more than the men affected
by this strike call. We are deter
mined to have fair increases now"
The men involved are all employed
on American roads. although th'
union has a membership of $4,000 il
Canada.