Evening star., 1920-02-12
Declare Congress
Lax in Enacting
Legislation.
SUBMIT DEMANDS
THROUGH HINES
Would Limit Storage
and Have Cost Mark
On All Goods.

On All Goods.
| Criticism of Congress for it's al
legged laxity in passing legislation to
| reduce the high cost of living and
recommendations that President VIII
| son request Congress to speed up
| action on legislation which will lower
prices form the principal points in
| the demands of more than 1000, 600
| railway workers. submitted to Di-
rector General of Railroads Hines
| and turned over by him today to
! President Wilson.
! This was learned today from per-
sons in close touch with the railroad
! situation.
! Among the suggestions made by
| the workers. it is understood. are
! that President Wilson request Con-
sress to limit the time in which all
/ foodstuffs may be held in cold
! storage. and to enact n law compelling a
| cost mark to be placed on all goods -,
Select Men to See President.
I 1t was announced at the White
| House today that President Wilson
| VIII have personal conference to-
morrow with three represe natives
| of the railroad brothe rhoods to dis
| cuss their demands.
Brotherhood officials held a meet-
! ing today in the National Hotel and
| selected the following to represent
them at the conference with the
President:
B. NJ. Jewell acting president OF
! the American Federation of Labor.s
railroad department: f. ]. Manion,
| president of the order of Railroad
| Te,egraphers. and Timothy Shea.
| acting president of the Brotherhood
of Trainmen and Engineers.
The union leaders will see the
President on the south lawn of the
| White House. where Mr- Wilson
| Before meeting the brotherhood Of
| 6cials the President will study Ia
detail the report on the trainmene
demands submitted to him today by
| Mr.. Hines.
| The director general was in cons
| ference with Mr.. Tumuity this morn
| ing and then returned to his ONCE
| to, complete his memorandum for the
| President, who win be asked TO make
| the final decision on the demands
presented by the railroad workers
| nearly year ago. -
Willing for Adjustment.
/ Union officials, with the exception
/ of maintenance of way employees, and
| the Brotherhood of Railroad Traiu-
men. apparently were willing to ieaNc
| the case in the hands of the President
IAlthough there was dissatisfaction be- !,
cause living costs had not been re-r
| duced, it was evident that the union 4
men felt that another opportunity
| should be given for adjustment OF the;
| differences which have heen held 1a,,ss
allowance at the Presidents sequestss-ss
Mr.. Hines has made a tentative anesS
pointment for today with j. II. MaiIeyxS,
vice president of the Brctherhood OF
Maintenance of Way Employees an41
, Shop Laborers and his ccrmittee5 OF :,
ten, to discuss that organization's A..
legged grievances which led to CAM;
for a strike next Tuesday. :ss-Sa<z
Lee to Confer With Hines.
w. G. Lee, president of the Brothee<z
hood of Railroad Trainmen, also was 10Y.
confer with the director general on ft$ :
individual reasons for invalidatIng fnte7
agreement which his organizations haG
| Notification of intention to break the
agreement was given Mr.. Hines. Janu-
ary 90, which, under the thirty-day
| clause. will leave that organization
without working contract with tne
railroad administration on February ~,
six days before the roads return to their
owners.
The action of Mr.. Lee admittedly is
giving administration officials concern.
While his representatives have partfc1-
pated in all sessions of the general con-
ference, Mr.. Lee coptended his organi-
zation had reserved the right TO press
; its grievances for adjustment separately.
He declined to add to his statement Of
yesterday, which asserted the trainmen
had waited Sufficiently long for the gov
ernment to force down living costs.
Decision Made Inst Night.
Decision to lay the matter Of dis
position of the railway workers wage
demands before President Wilson was
made last night after Director Cen
eral Hines and employees representa-
tives had failed to reach an agree-
ment. Z
The President thus is called on to
determine whether the government
will grant the increased wages or
transfer the wage demand controversy
to the corporations soon to regain
control of their properties
Submission of the claims and ar
gument to the President, while tempo
rarily ending the general negotiations.
does not mean a final break, Railroad
Adm n :stration officials explained
Neither members of Mr.. Hines stan
Gor the union spokesmen Indicated
they felt that a deadlock had arrived
although the discussions were ended.
Regardless of the Presidents decision
in the matter. the differences could
be ironed out after return OF the
railroads through machinery likely TO
be set up by pending Legislation. It
was explained.
Influenced by Return Of Roads.
Mr.. Hines refusal to grant the en-
ployeS OemaEuS apparently was DdSeu
entirely on the. fact that federal con-
troll soon will cease. The director gen.
eral was understood to have kept this
angle consistently before the union
men, together with the argument that
it would be unfair to the thousands of ,
owners of railroad stock to increase
the expenditures OF their corporations
when the government would be re-
sponsible for the revenues obtained
for so brief A period
Mr.. Hines said the union represent
atives had presented their views with
ability and frankness," and that
while the conference had not solved
the problems before ii, the real is-
sues involved now were more clearly
developed than at any time since the
wage demands weres first presented
last July.
Mr. Hines Explains Action.
In>explanation of his action the di- >
rector general ISSUED the following
statement:
'..Since February the director general
has had frequent conferences with the
chief executives of the railroad labor
for the purpose OF devising
means for disposing of the pending :.
claims for wage increases. During
these conferences the executives of the
labor organizations have expressed their
views with great ability and frankness,
The director general has not been able
to agree with them as to how the prob
lem should be disposed Of in view Of thu