Arizona republican., 1920-02-29
VESTS IN HINES
 THE FULL POWER
 GRANTED BY BILL
IRepubIlcan A. p. Leased Wirel


 WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-President Wilson signed the railroad bill tonight on the eve of the return of the roads to their owners and to private control.
 In a proclamation issued at the time the bill was signed. Mir. Wilson vested in Walker D. Hines, director general of railroads virtually all power con ferred upon the executive by the bill. MT. Hines will also continue to exer- else the duties of director general, which continues beyond the return of the roads to private control at mid night Sunday.
 The White House also made public the text of the presidents reply to a recent request of representatives of the railroad brotherhoods that he ap point a commission composed equally of employees and employers delegates to consider wage demands made by the brotherhoods. It deals wholly with the wage demand settlement pro posals and does not refer directly to the memorial later presented by the Brotherhood heads asking that he veto the railroad bill.
 Announcement of the signing of the bill came after officials had become convinced MT Wilson did not intend to act tonight. although they were certain he would not permit the measure to become law by the ex- piration Of the To-day limit allowed
 
 act of congress. There were indica- tions that the presidents action on the bill was delayed pending his comple- ton of his reply to the brotherhoods' heads.
 Wilson's, Letter
 In his letter, Mir Wilson said the passage of the railroad bill made it evident that 1 cannot act on your suggestions until it should have been determined whether the bill would be- come a law or not"
 It was manifest the letter con tinued. that if the bill should become a law, the negotiations and .considera- tion of the wage matter ought to pro- ceed in harmony herewith.
 The bill having now become a law, the way is open for immediate action on the wage matter in accordance with the terms Of the bill.
 Section 501 of the bill evidently contemplates that the carriers and employees should, as suggested by you select representatives who will thus constitute bipartisan board for the purpose of attempting, by conference, to agree upon solution of this wage proDiem.
 In accordance with the assurance gave last August and repeated in substance in my letter of the 18th in stant, 1 shall at once request the car riers and the employees to join in this action. I believe such a step will go far toward clarifying and matur- ing the subject for final disposition. In fact, the sort of board thus con- templated by section 301 appears to be an appropriate substitute for the com mittee of experts which 1 have here tofore suggested. and indeed such a board will be authorized to go further than such d committee could have gone.
 While it is true that that the pro- visions of section BOT of the railroad bill relating to the labor board will probably also come into operation as to this wage matter, nevertheless the bi bipartisan board can make a great deal of progress which will material ly diminish the time to be consumed by the tabor board. and while the bi- partisan board is functioning the ap- pointment and organization of the la Dor board can be expedited.
 No Apprehension
 T cannot share the apprehension of yourselves and your constituents to the provisions of the law concerning the labor board. l believe those pro- visions are not only appropriate in the interest of the public. which after all is principally composed of work CTS and their families, but will be found to be particularly in the inter est of railroad employees a class.
 ''The argument that the public rep
  be prejudiced again labor because drawn from classes of society antago- nistic to labor men, and ought to be overcome by selecting such public rep resentatives cannot be charged with any prejudices.
 Not only must public representative be selected who can be relied upon to 1 extend justice, but the bill itself pro- I vides that the labor board shall es- tablish rates and wages and salaries which in the opinion of the board are just and reasonable. and it is further provided that the entire labor board shall be guided by the very important standards which ares provided in the law those standards including the wages. aid for similar kinds of work in other industries, the relation betweena wages and the cost Of living. the haz- ards of the employment, the training and skill required, the degree of re- sponsibility, the character and irregu- ! larity Of the employment, and the cor rection of ineaualities as the result of