The Washington herald., 1920-02-29
Executive Order Autho
rizes Chief of Railroad
Administration to Carry
Out Provisions of Cum.
mins-Esch Measure II
Property Transfer.
EXPRESS COMPANIES
ALSO GO TO OWNERS
Brotherhood Leaders De.
cline to Discuss Course O.
President But Drastic
Move on Part of Labor l.
Not Expected to Result.

Ending period of uncertainty a,
to the final disposition of the rafl.
road bill and, in opposition to tn.
urgent appeals of the railroad
brotherhoods and the Farmers Na-
tional Council, President Wilson
late yesterday attached his sigma
ture to the Cummins-Esch measure.
The law, as signed Is a compro-
mise between the Esch bill, passed
by the House, and the Cummins bill,
passed by the Senate. and was de-
signed to safeguard the rights of
the government the roads and the
public. in the change from Federal
to private control and operation
The President signed the act af-
ter he had carefully investigated fits
provisions and obtained the expert
opinions of Attorney General Pal
mer and RAN Director Hines as To
its constftutionaIfty and feasfhf1ftN
Writes Letter to Leader
Cofncident with the signing of the
measure, President Wilson ISSUED q
proclamation de1egatfng to Dfrector
General Hines all the powers and
authority conferred upon the Chief
Executive by Congress for czryins
out the provisions Of tho bin. I'm
cludfng the transfer Of the roads ia
private control
At the same time the President
made public q letter addressed ts
the fifteen railroad labor represent-
s.tyes i'm reply 70 their letter Of
February IA and subsequent COM
munications in which he endeae-
ored to set at rest their fears thai
the operation of the railroad bin
would be infmical to the welfare Of
railroad labor.
At sixty seconds past the hour ot
midnight tonight the railroad sys-
TEN OF the nation. as wen as ths
express business, taken over by the
government on January I. fa1S. t.
coordinate and concentrate the
transportation of war supplies. VIE
return to private control. In &C,
cordance with a proclamation is
sued by President Wilson last jan
uary.
Fuel Ruling Prolonged
The President also issued ar
executive order prolongfng until
April so fuel administration ruins
under which a commission Will be
able to prevent the expectation oi
bituminous coal
The commission. appointed by the
President to carry out the fuel rul.
ing, is composed of ]. w. Howe
commissioner of the TidewateI
Coal Exchange; Rembrandt PeaIe
F. NJ Whitaker and J. aF. Fisher
The commission was appointed OF
the direct request of the governors
of six New England States. who
| expressed the fear that with tn,
railroads back under private con.
troll those States already curtafleS
! to one-third normal supply O..
/ bituminous coal would suffer a fur
ther reduction.
Representatives of the railway
| brotherhoods who remain in the city
could not be induced to discuss the
Presidents action. They admitted
however, that they would meet to-
| day to frame a joint statement, il
| enough members still remain to
| make statement authoritative.
Strikes Not Expected.
! 1t is understood the labor heads
will counsel the 2,0OU.o00 railroad q
workers to exercise patience and &c
| take no drastic action until the rail-
/ road officials have had a chance te
demonstrate that they intend to
! make good" under the machinery
/ provided in the bill for adjustment
| of wage controversies.
While the leaders have expressed
/ the fear that the enactment of the
/ Cummins-Esch bill into law might
result in sporadic and unauthorized
/ strikes, they have declared they
would make every possible effort to
prevent walk-outs until it becomes
evident that there is no hope for
a satisfactory adjustment of tn,
wage problem.