The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-03-03
I PRESIDENT SIGNS SIGNS
RAILROAD BILL
Railroads Returned to Pri-
vate Control
WALKER d. HINES
DIRECTOR GENERAL
NO Reference Is Made tG Request OF
Railroad Unions to Veto Bill. Hines
Vested with Executive Authority
Provided for In the Bill.

A"ii 'i"iopoi IatloH systems, operated
as one great public utility since De-
ccmbcr 27, 1917, are again divided
among their go respective corporate
owners. The government has released
control
director General Hines, as the .gcnt
OF the president, hands over the prop
critics and equipment, value at ap-
DroNimatciy $2G,0T0 100000 u ti,eir
old direction, free, except for the juris-
diction retained by the government in
the new railroad reorganization bill
While all arrangements for formal
restoration OF the rails to their own
ers were completed yesterday by Mr..
Hines, instructions went out today to
operating representatives OF the rail
road administration, informing them
that they would report to the proper
officials Of the corporations which re-
sumo control at 1901 a. m., March ~
OF the gigantic organization. Great
ed by former Director General Nc
Adoo, as a wartime eXpedient, only
small part will remain Regional ofIic-
ials, federal managers and trcasurcrs
and many high officials comprising
the director generals staff, will cease
to function as such at the DESIGNATED
hour. Some of these have gone back
to their former places as officials of
the corporations, while others have
entered into new lines of endeavor.
E>''Ml. Hines will continue in his pres
ert capacity until about May 1st. AL
though without any railroads to di-
rect, he still faces the settlement Of
literally thousands Of claims, contracts
and grievances. Only lat of the 230
compensation contracts with the cor
pOrations actually were signed dur
ing government control and the "e-
mainder will continue to be subject
OF negotiations. Damage claims have
arisen Of which many still are pend
ing. Labor has several thousand cas-
cs before the government wage boards,
and Mr.. Hines has assured the labor
spokcsmen these will be concluded.
Some will require the payment Of ret
roactivc wages, if decided in favor Of
the workmers, and others Will mean
the establishment Of Interpretation OF
agreement. which labor, OF course. will
refuse to have altered by the corDo-
rations. Many effect general labor
policies and represent vitd,ly impor-
tant questions from the LABOR view.
vHhn rnnlv oiyop Nv, Droc;Iort NN;1
son to labor's objections to the reor-
ganization bill vii be considered to-
morrow by the railroad union chiefs.
Al! OF the union executives who are
here will be called into conference for
the purpose Of agreeing on public
expression Of railroad labors atti-
tudc.
There was no indication tonight as
to sediment among the leaders who
had read the presidents statement in
answer to heir request that he with
hold his approval from the bill. They
said they had stated their case and
that until a policy can he determined,
they would remain silent as 20 flu
IufC aCtlOn.
With the lines again under private
control there will be almost immedi-
ately a resumption Of the days of
competition" Corporation heads have
been preparing for this for several
months. The various roads will at
tempt to divide again the business
which has been handled Jointly dur
ing federal control, reports indicated.
The roads go back to private control
under largely new conditions. The
railroad BILL signed last night by the
president gives the systems certain
new privileges. but as an Offset, 1t
enlarges the Interstate commerce com
mission. both in powers and person
mel. The corporations no longer are
masters completely of their bond Is
sues, nor are they allowed to stand
solidly against labor for labor's de-
mands, II not met by arbitration and
negotiation between the parties con
cerned, so to the high court provided
in, the bill and on which sit In al