The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-23
To Ask President for
Wage Tribunal in
Interest Of Workers
Representatives Of IA Rail
roads Organizations in Cen
eral Meeting at Capital.

Washington. Feb. z3.-Representa-
tive OF fourteen railroad organiza-
tons. at q general meeting here to-
morrow will decide on ! policy to be
submitted to President Wilson in
connection with their demands for
wage increases.
The Impression gathered from ths
labor oflIctais who arrived In washA
ington this afternoon ana began =
series OF informal conferences WAS
that the president would be asked to
create Immediately a wage tribunal
to consider the requests of the two
million railroad workers Some OF
the officials expressed the opinion that
unless the president acquiesced in
their desire for the immediate crea-
ton of q wage tribunal that great
difficulty would be experienced In pre-
venting sporadic strikes but at. the
same time they deprecated all talk
OF n general strike.
Tomorrow's program provides first
for the holding, of group meetings az
which the presidents triple propo-
SAL will be considered and second the
convocation OF general meeting
wherein the railroad men will decide
upon q definite policy. Thereafter, IL
Is expected, an advance. will be made
upon the White House and the presi-
dent will be informed OF the decision
OF tbs men, and will be asked to give
them reply.
The president. it should be recalled.
proposed three steps to the railroad
men after their negotiations with
walker d. Hines. director general OF
railroads, OF the subject OF wage in
creases, had ended in failure.
Tho president told the representa-
tives of the workers that in the event
congress passed legislation, creating a
wage adjustment board, he would see
to II that their requests for increased
wages be promptly submitted 70 the
board,
The presidents second proposal
was that II provisions were no made
in the pending 1egisla ton for wage
adtustment board he would act im-
mediately and create . tribunal o.
his own. His third proposal was
that in any event he would appoint
q commission Of experts to investi-
gate the records or the railroad ad-
yAinistration with u View OF suggest
ing legitimate advances in the sala-
ries Of the employees.
--Tha action Of the house last night
in passing Jfa CumInins- Each rail-
road bill and It's consideration by the
senate, to tie exclusion Of everything
else. tomorrow may favc an tmpor-
tant bearing on ths conference Of
said, will pass the railroad bin BY a
substantial majority, and It win then
20 to the president for his signature
and approval
Organized labor made strenuous
DfkOrts to defeat the bill in the house
anu will continue its efforts while the
bill - before the. senate for con SID
Grafton. The measures chances 81,
success In the senate. however. Ar y
10 pronounced that senator LaFoli-
cite, Republican OF Wisconsin. Its
most bitter Toe, III understood to have
informed his friends that 1t Is i'm
possible To defeat tho eill. For this
reason he will not undertake to stage
- htthusfcr against IL. Senator La
FollGtte will, though make 4 long
speech In oppoaition "A the bill
y HstXla1 Uf thS aYs III s I'll
EAnixGd labor towara this measure It
n believed entirely possfble that
whatever cornnsitAee IN railroad
House 10 hear 10 the president their
reply to his wage proposals may, on
tao spot. resolve itaotf INTO i cam
inittee or protest and ask him to yot6
the bill. w 8ss
'ss e4et flscxfsar tIsst II NJ ~ .staa
idOas and AukgeStiona On Mr.. Hfnee
are Included III TIM massacre, s.d alno;
the proxtpp1ty az mo xetnrst ~ Bt1aA
Enllroads to private \. \. 400