The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-03-01
RAILROADS BACK
INOWNERS'H HANDS
President Signs Bill to Regu-
late Their Management,
IGNORES UNION DEMAND

| Declares Early Establishment OF Tri-
| bunai Under New Loan Adequately
Assures Justice to Labor and De.
| cIined to Veto Measure.
Washington, March l.-Federal con-
troll of +he railroads ended at mid
night, when they were returned TO the
| mana cement of their respective own
erS
! Federal operation continued Or 70
months, since December %, 1917. The
| annual rental for all the lines was
s9l7. 200, 900, and the deficiency has
COST the government $715,500,OOO.
The Esch- -Cummins railroad bill, en-
bodying legislation TO regulate rail-
| roads upon their return to private con-
| Iroi. was signed by The president.
In a proclamation issued at the time
| the bill was signed. Mr.. Wilson >VeSt-
ed in Walker d. Hines, director gen
eral Of railroads, virtually all powers
conferred upon the executive by tne
| bill. Mr.. Hines will also continue TO
exercise the duties of director general,
which continue beyond the return OF
| the roads to private control.
The White House also made public
the text of the presidents reply TO
| 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. 1t deals wholly with
the wage demand settlement proposals
and does not refer directly to the me-
mortal later presented by the. brother
hood heads asking the veto of the rail-
road bill.
The president expressed emphatic
dissent from the view of the railroad
labor representatives that the puDllc
representatives on the labor board
would be anita gonistic 20 labor. Neither
did he think these representatives
would oppose wage increase because
they might involve rate increases. The
expectation voiced by the president
was hat the board in all Of its make
I'D would be fair ito labor, and that its
appointment and organization would
be accomplished without delay.
announcement of the signing OF the
hiIl came after officials had become
convinced Mr.. Wilson did not intend
10 act, although they were certain ne
world not permit the measure to be-
come law by the expiration of the
ten-tl;ly limit allowed for presidential
approval or veto of an act of con-
sress. There were indications that
the presidents action on the bill was
delayed pending his completion OF his
reply 20 the brotherhood heads.
In his letter Mr.. Wilson said the
passage of the railroad bill made 1t
evident that I could not act On your
suggestions until it should have been
determined whether the bill would be-
come a law or not"
st was manifest" the letter con-
tinued, "that if the bill should become
a law the negotiations and considela-
ton of the wage matter ought 10 pro-
ceed in harmony Herewith.
"The bill having now become a law,
the way is open for immediate action
on the wage marter in accordance with
the terms of the bill. Section 3Ol OF
the bill evidently contemplates that
the carriers and employees should, as
suggested by you, select representa-
rives WHO will thus constitute BIZ
partisan board for the purpose of at
tempting by conference to agree upon
solution of this wage problem.
In accordance with the assurance
l gave last August and repeated in
substance in my letter of the 18th
instant, l shall at once request the
carriers and rhe employees TO join in
this action. | believe such step will
go far toward clarifying and maturing
the subject for final disposition. In
fact, the sort of board thus c0ntem-
plated by section 301 appears 70 be an
appropriate substitute for the commit
tee of experts which | have hereto
fore. suggested, and, indeed, such a
board will be authorized 10 go further
than such 81 committee could have
gone.
while it is true that the prOvi-
sions OF section 30T 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 consumed by
| the labor board, and while the be-
| partisan board is funotioning the ap-
s-e.ntment and organization of tfe Ia
bor board can be expedited.
II cannot share the comprehension
of yourselves and your constituents as
to the provisions of the law concern
| ing the labor board. I believe those
provisions are not only appropriate
| in the interest of the public, which
LITTER all is principally composed of
workers and :her families, but will
be found 10 be particularly in the in
terest of railroad employees as a