The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1920-02-20
RAILROAD MEN
PUT Off STRIKE
Sfesident's Proposals to Be Sub
mitted to the Locals.
WILL sIFT WILSON'S OFFER
Special Meeting TO Be Held on Feoru
any ,23-Maintenance of Way ana
shop Laborers' Strike indeh-
niteIy Postponed.

Washington, Feb. 16.-The raliroau
w1AO0s of the United States agreed 10
8Hbanit TO their Organizations the pro-
1a0<aI from President Wilson that all
heir wage grievances be Immediately
aiken under consideration By com
saittee of experts to be appointed Dy
the president at once pending creation
@e wage adjustment machinery as pro-
sfded in the railroad bill DOW Defore
aangresS.
thus the immediate prospect or q
general strike il averted. The only
strike order actually issued was that
Of the maintenance Of way employees
set for Tuesday, and this was indefi-
kitely postponed later In the day oy
me officers Of that brotherhood
The Presidents Proposals.
The presidents proposals, which VIII
he submitted to q conference OF repro"
;sentatives of all the railroad crgani1S-
H0as-1E of them-at a meeting 10
he called in Washington February 70.
as stated by the president In his al
dress to the railroad committee, are
rs follows:
Il In the event that in connection
With the return to private control pro-
vision shall be made by law for ma
.ehInery for dealing with railroad wage
matters shall promptly use my infiu-
snce, and so far as such law confers
ssower upon me shall promptly exer-
lefse that power to bring about the
earliest practicable organization or
the machinery thus provided.
20. In the event that no such pro-
vision is made by law for dealing with
these matters, sflesl employ the intiu-
ss4sce of the executive to get the rail-
road companies and the railroad en-
gTOyees to join promptly in the crea-
ZION Of n tribunal to take up these
prUblems and carry them to cOnclu-
sion.
~3 shall at once constitute COM
paittee of experts to take the data al
ready available in the various records
sf the United States railroad admins
fratiOn. including the records OF the
Kane commission and of the board OF
railroad wages and working conditions,
md to analyze the same so as TO de-
veIOp. in the shortest possible time
the facts bearing upon just and rea-
sonable basis OF wages for the various
classes of railroad employees, with due
regard to alt factOrs reasonably bear
mig upon the problem. and specifically
20 the factors of the average OF wage
said 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 in shape for
1le earliest possible final disp0si-
tom
Wilson Wires Barker.
Before the pOstpOnement of the
maintenance mems strike was an
uounced 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 1t became
known that the officers of the main
BeDance organization had refused to
jpln with the Ii other unions In the
agreement to submit the presidents
PROPOSALS to the joint union confer
ence, February %. President Wilson
and Director Hines both sent teie-
gxams to A. e: Barker. president of
the Brotherhood Of Maintenance of
Way Employees at Detroit, and Mr..
Hines also sent letter.
President Wilson's telegram prae-
IDEALLY demanded that the strike be
called off. but contained no threats.
It was reported. however, that the gov
ernment will resort to extreme means
to prevent the strike, IL necessary, and
perhaps invoke the injunction as was
dome In the coal strike