Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-02-20
RAILROAD men
NOT TO STRIKE
Union Chiefs Agree to Submit
Presidents Proposal to
Their Locals.
BARKER HALTS BIG WALKOUT
Maintenance of Way and Shop Labor
ers' Strike Is indefinitely Post
poned-RaiI Organizations
to Sift Offer.

Washington, Feb. 17LThe railroad
unions of the United States agreed to
submit to their organizations the pro-
posal from President Wilson that all
their wage grievances be Immediately
taken under consideration by COM
mittee of experts to be appointed by
the president at once pending creation
Of wage adjustment machinery as pro-
vfded in the railroad bill now before
congress.
Thus the immediate prospect of
general strike is averted. The only
strike order actually issued was that
Of the maintenance of way employees,
set for Tuesday, and this was indet-
nitely postponed later in the day by
the officers of that brotherhood.
The presidents proposals, which will
be submitted to a conference of repre-
sentatives of all the railroad organiZa-
tions-15 of them-at a meeting to
be called in Washington February %,
as stated by the president in his adj
dress to the railroad committee, are
as follows:
81. In the event that in connection
with the return to private control pro-
vision shall be made by law for ma
chinery for dealing with railroad wage
matters l shall promptly use my infiu-
ence, and so far as such law confers
power upon me I shall promptly exer-
else that power to bring about the
earliest practicable organization of
the machinery thus provided.
SO. In the event that no such pro-
vision is made by law for dealing with
these matters, shall employ the inf1u-
ence of the executive to get the rail-
road companies and the railroad en-
ployees to join promptly in the crea-
ton Of a tribunal to take up these
problems and carry them to a conclu-
sion.
"3. l shall at once constitute a COM
mittee of experts to take the data al
ready available in the various records
of the United States railroad admins
tration, including the records of the
Lane commission and of the board of
railroad wages and working conditions,
and to analyze the same so as to de-
velop, in the shortest possible time
the facts bearing upon a just and rea-
sonable basis of wages for the various
classes of railroad employees. with due
regard to all factors reasonably bear
ing upon the problem, and specifically
to the factors of the average Of wage
paid for similar CT analogous laborf for
other industries in this country, the
cost of living and a fair living wage,
so as to get the problems in shape for
the earliest possible final DISPOSE
tion.'
Before the postponement of the
maintenance mems strike was an
nounced 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 it became
known that the officers of the main
tenance organization had refused to
join with the IA other unions in the
agreement to submiS the presidents
proposals to the joint union confer
ence, February %, President Wilson
and Director Hines both sent tele-
grams to A. E. Barker, president of
the Brotherhood of Maintenance of
Way Employees at Detroit, and Mr.
Hines also sent a letter.
President Wilson's telegram prac-
tically demanded that the strike be
called off, but contained no threats.
1t was reported, however, that the gov
eminent will resort to extreme means
to prevent the strike if necessary, and
perhaps invoke the injunction as was
done in the coal strike.