South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-29
DIRECTOR HINES
WILL CONTINUE
AS RAIL LEADER
President Makes His Reply
to Demands of Railway
Brotherhoods.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONED
substance in my letter Of the 18th
inst, 1 shall at once request the
carriers and the employees to join in
this action. believe such a step
will go far toward clarifying and
maturing the subject for final dispo-
siuon. In fact. the sort OF board
thus contemplated by Section 301
appears TO be an appropriate sub
stitute for the committee Of experts
which / have heretofore suggested
and indeed. such a board will be
authorized to go further than such a
committee could have gone
while il is true that the provis-
ions Of section 307 OF the railroad
bill relating to the labor board Will
probably also come into operation
as 10 this wage matter, nevertheless
the bipartisan board can make a
great deal OF progress which will
materially diminish the time 10 be
consumed by the labor board; and
while the bipartisan board is func-
tioning, the appointment and organ
ization of the board can be expe-
dited.
Provisions Appropriate.
Il cannot share the apprehension
of yourselves and your constituents
as 10 the provisions Of the law con-
corning the labor board. 1 believe
those provisions are not only APP
propriate in the interest of the pub
lie, which after all is principally
composed of workers and their
families, but viii be found TO be
particularly in the interest of the
railroad employees as a class.
The argument that the public
representatives on the labor board
Will be prejudiced against labor
because drawn from classes of So
ciety antagonistic 10 labor can and
ought to be overcome by selecting
such public representative as can
not be charged with any. such pre-
JUDGES Nor do / anticipate that
the public representatives Will be
against wage increases because they
involve rate increases. Not only
must public representatives be Sc
lected who can be relied upon 70 do
| justice but the bill itself provides
/ that the labor board shall establish
rates and wages and salaries which
in the opinion of the board are just
and reasonable, and il is further
provided that the entire labor board
shall be guided by the very import
ant standards which are provided
| in the law, those standards including
the wages paid for similar kinds of
work in oother industries, the rela-
/ ton between wages and the cost Of
living. the hazards of the employ
ment. the training and skill required,
| the degree of responsibility, the
| character and irregUlarity of the en-
| ployment, and the correction of in
| equalities as the result of previous
adjustments. Coupled with the di-
rection of the labor board TO take
into consideration these important
standards is the highly important
| direction TO the commission TO pre-
scribe rates sufficient 10 admit Of
the payment of the reasonable oper-
ating expenses including, of course,
fair rate Of wages.
Fair to Labor
My hopes are that the putting
| into effect of these provisions with a
| carefully selected labor board whose
public representative can be relied
/ upon TO be fair 10 labor and to ap-
| preciate the point of view OF labor
/ that il is no longer 10 be considered
as a mere commodity will mark the
/ beginning Of a new era of better I'M
/ derstanding between the railroad
| arrangements and their employees
and Will furnish additional safe
guards TO the just interests of rail
road labor.
Il am sure that every agency
which Will be involved in the crea-
ton of the labor board and i'm the
conduct of negotiations fully appre-
ciates that the wage demands are
entitled TO the earliest possible con-
sideration and disposition and there
fore / do not anticipate delay In the
appointment and organization Of the
labor board or in the other neces-
sary steps"
Investing Mr.. Hines with the pow
ers granted 10 the president by the
bill, Mr., Wilson made one exception.
The president will himself later
name the agent or agency OF the
government against whom suit may
be brought 20 satisfy claims arising
out OF the government control of the
roads, as provided in section 2O6 of
the act.