The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-02-12
PRESIDENT To
CONFER WITH
R. R. LEADERS
Representatives Of Railroad
Brotherhoods Will Talk
With Executive Tomorrow
Both Views Presented.
OPEN STRIKE QUARTERS
fBy Associated Press)

tby ASSociateC PreSS)
WASHINGTON, Feb 12.-President
Wilson will have personal confer
ence tomorrow with three representa-
tfves OF the railroad brotherhoods to
discuss the wage demands of the g.
100000 railroad employees which are
to be referred to him today by Direc-
tor-General Hines.
Selection of their spokesmen was
left by the president to the Union
representatives, who chose B. w.
Jewell. acting president of the rail-
way employees department of the
american Federation Of Labor; w. j.
Manlon, president of the order of
Railway Telegraphers. and Timothy
Shea, acting president of the Brother
hood of Firemen and Engineers.
1t was said at the white house that
the president had been giving the
railroad situation serious thought for
several days and that it was his own
suggestion that he see the union men.
He was understood to have felt that
he could handle the situation better
II he saw the representatives person
ally. ~.
Director-General Hines was In con-
ference with Secretary Tumulty this
morning, and then returned to his Of
the president, who will be asked to
make the final decision on the de-
mands presented by the railroad work
ers nearly yearago
Both Sides Prepare Statements.
Statements setting for the views of
both sides in the controversy = one
giving the reasons why the unions de-
mand an immediate increase in wages
and the other explaining why Director
General Hines could not agree to such
increase on the eve of the turning
back OF the railroads to private own
ersh1p-were in course of preparation
this morning and will be presented to
Mr.. Wilson.
will require in considering the state
vii require in considering the state
ments is problematical, but it was be-
lleved 1t would be short. Whether he
upholds the views of Director Gen.
erai Hines, or decides that the de-
mands OF the employees are Just and
should be granted, the opinion was
expressed that settlement finally will
De made through the machinery to be
set up by legislation now pending.
AS prepared for presentation to the
White House, the statements did not
include the separate grievances of the
brotherhood of Railroad trainmen. and
MI Hines arranged to confer further
today with w. G. Lee, president of
that organization. Likewise, Mr.. Hines
will confer with a COMMITTEES repre-
sentlng the maintenance of way en-
ployes. whose officers have called a
strike to become effective Feb. II.
Injunction Suggested.
Inc action OF the maintenance of
way men In calling strike has not
been understood by railroad admins.
tration officials, and the conference
today was expected to clear I'D the
confusion. Just what bearing on this
Phase OF the wage controversy, II any
the meeting yesterday between Mr..
Hines and Attorney-General Palmer
mad had not been disclosed TODAY
Neither Director Hines nor the At.
torney General would discuss the DOS
slbility Of meeting the proposed strike
through injunction proceedings SINH
lar to those employed in the recent
coal miners strike.
The break in the wage negotiations.
which began here Feb. 3, came yester-
day after Director-General Hines had
reiterated his views that no wage in
crease should be made by the govern
| ment now just as it's control OF the
roads Is about to end. The employees
representatives took the position that
the wage demands had been held in
abeyance since July because of the
promise of the government that a re-
duction IN the cost of living would be
erected and that as living costs had
| mounted instead Of decreasing thew
| now were justified in pressing their
demands.
DETROIT, Feb. 12-Strike head.
quarters were to be opened in fifteen
cities today by divisional officers of
the brotherhood of maintenance of
| way employees and railway shop la.
| borers, from which the nation wide
strike called for Feb. II, will be di-
| rected.
Final plans for the strike have been
made, union officials here declared,
and only on agreement between rep
resentatives OF the men in Washing
ton and President Wilson, they said,
will avert the waIkout
If such an agreement is rea ched It
is said it must come before Saturday
| night or the strike order cannot be
rescinded before it becomes effective.
| Allen E. Barker, international
president, expressed hope this morn
ing that today's conferences at Wash
ington, in which J. B. Malloy, vice
president of the Union was to partici-
pate. might bring an agreement in
the wage controversy.