Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-02-13
As Alternative Leaders Will Press Claims for Wage
 Increase. UNION COMMITTEE
 TO SEE PRESIDENT
Leaders Fear Presidents Decision Will he UnfavorabIc and Based on Certain Recommendations
 of Director General Hines.

Washington, Feb. 12.-President Wilson will be asked tomorrow by
 spokesmen for more than two mil
 lion railroad employees that definite
 assurances be given of an immediate
 reduction in the cost of living, lead ] CTS in the wage negotiations declared
 tonight. As an alternative, the un- ion representatives will claim in-
 creased wages, demands for which
 were not pressed at MT. Wilson's re-
 quest last summer.
 Representatives of the workers, it
 was intimated tonight, base their
 hope for higher wages largely on the increase in the cost of living since the last general wage increase in 1918. The cost of living question
 while always to the fore in the ne- gotiations which the union men have
 had with Director General Hines, will be employed to the full extent
 of the unions power in the confer
 ence with the president, it was in
 dicated.
 Immediately after the announce
 ment from the White House that the president would see union commit
 tee of three personally, meeting of all union heads interested was called and preparations were begun for possible presentation of verbal claims in amplification of the written state- ments, submitted through Director General Hines. The employees will be represented by M. J. Jewell, act ing president of the Railway En- ployes department American Feder- ation of Labor; E. J. Manion, presi- dent of the Order of Railway Tele- < graphers, and Timothy Shea, acting president of the Brotherhood of loco motive firemen and cnginemen.
 The conference will be held on the south lawn of the white hopse where Mir. Wilson spends a portion of his mornings.
 Union Men Uneasy.
 There was unmistakable evidence tonight among the union officials of a fear that the president would re- fuse to grant their wage demands. A few said frankly they could see no hope of a settlement favorable to them This view seemed to have been based on the arguments offered in rebuttal by MT. Hines as the union leaders presented new claims or pro- posals.
 Director General Hines in trans- hitting data on the controversy to President Wilson, today was under stood to have made Suggestion" rel- ative to final disposition of the problems. These, however, did not take the form of definite recommen- dations. it was said. Union leaders had knowledge of what MT. Hines stand was and they were understood to fear the presidents decision would follow closely along the same lines.
 The director general in his confer ence with the union heads told them that he could not grant their de- mands because of the early termlna- ton of federal control and explain ed that pending explanation, passage of which expected would set up ma- chinery which would provide "impar- tial and unbiased" handling of sthe wage claims. The union arguments to this was they were thus conn pelled to face another delay with no assurances of relief.
 Mir. Hines today conferred with of the BrotherhO0d of Maintenance of Way Employees and Shop Laborers, who have called a strike of their 100000 members Tuesday officials of the Brother hood of Railroad Station Employea and chiefs of the Longshoremen's union.
 The conference with the Mainter,- ance of Way workers resulted prac- tically in placing their demands in the same category with those nov before the president. Mir. Htnes old the committee that he could not agree to their demands for higher pay but offered to leave the case open Dending discussion of the president.
 Differences between the railroad ad- and the station cra- ,loyes and longshoremen were urls ierstood to have been settled sev- ,ral weeks ago, but Mir. Hines told he mat that time he would diseubS ;heir grievances further whenever hey desired.
 Will Consider Fair Plan.
 Detroit, Mich., Feb. 12.-Any "fair proposition" put forward by Presl- dent Wilson in the railway wA&e will receive the sefiouA # x of officers of thS Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way and Railway Shop Laborerss 1t VII at headquarters tonieh The statement was also attributed to V President Allen E. Barker, that 2 more conciliatory attitude would bS adopted with President Wilson if the president reopened negotiations with < the Maintenance of way men, wh6 C have been ordered on strike next Tuesday. '
 "We shall try to do the right thing, as we always have, with the MT. Baker said. If he puts forward any fair proposition VI shall accept it. We only ask square deal" 3s| 2
 MT. Barker declined to say wtetA 2 been asked if he would call 0ff t #