Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-02-20
RAILROAD men
NOT TO STRIKE
Union Chiefs Agree TO Submit
Presidents Proposal to
Their Locals.
BARKER HiLTS BIG WALKOUT
Maintenance of Way and Shop Labor.
ers' Strike Is indefinitely Post.
poned--Rail Organizations
to Sift offer.

Washington. Feb. 1T.--The railroad
unions of the United States agreed to
submit to their organizations The pro.
posal from President Wilson that all
their wage grievances be Immediately
taken under consideration by = COM
mittee of experts 10 be appointed by
the president at once pending creation
Of wage adjustment machinery as pro
vlded in the railroad bin now before
congress.
Thus the immediate prospect of a
general strike is averted. The only
strike order actually issued was that
Of the maintenance OF way employees
set for Tuesday, and this was ihden-
nitely postponed later IN the day by
the officers Of that brotherhood
The presidents proposals, which with
be submitted 60 q conference of repre-
senlatives OF all the railroad organiza-
tions-15 OF them-at a meeting 10
be called in Washington February -,
as stated by the president in his nd
dress 10 the railroad committee. are
as follows
Il. In the event thar IN connection
with the return to private control pro-
vision shall be made by law for ma
chinery for dealing with railroad wage
matters shall promptly use my influ.
ence, and so Car as such law confers
power upon me | shall promptly exer.
else that power TO bring about the
earliest practicable or@nlzation Of
the machinery thus provided.
Y. In the event that no such pro
vision is made by law for dealing with
these matters, ! shall employ the intlu
ence of the executive 10 get the rail-
road companies and the railroad EN-.
ployees to join promptly In the crea-
ton Of a tribunal TO tabc Up these
problems aud carry them 20 d concu-
sion.
% ] shall at once constitute com
mittee of experts 10 take the data al
ready available in the various records
Of the United States ralroad admins
tration. including the records of the
Lane commission and of the board OF
railroad wages and working conditions.
and to analyze the same so as to de-
velop In the shortest possible time,
the facts bearing upon a just and rea-
sonabe basis of wages for the various
classes of railroad employees. with due
regard 10 all factors reasonably bear
ing upon the problem. and specifically
20 the factors Of the average Of wage
paid for similar or analogous labor for
other Industries In this country. the
cost of living and fair living wage,
so as to get the problems lG shape for
the earliest possible final iisposi.
ton"
Before the postponement Of the
maintenance mems strike was an.
nounced President Wilson and Direc.
tor General Hines had concentrated
their attention upon preventing the
strike Of the 100000 maintenance of
way employees.
Earlier In the day. when II became
known that the officers Of the main.
tenance organization had refused to
join with the IA other unions in the
agreement 70 submit the presidents
proposals 10 the joint union confer.
ence, February %, President Wilson
and Director Hines both sent tele.
grams to A. E. Barker. president of
the brotherhood OF Maintenance Of
Way Employees at Detroit, and Mr.
Hines also sent q letter.
President Wilson's telegram prac-
ticaliy demanded that the strike be
Called of. but contained no threats
II was reported, however. that the gov
ernment will resort to extreme means
TO prevent the strike, If necessary, and
perhaps invoke the injunction az was
done in the coal strike.