Evening star., 1920-02-02
PAR[EYSEXPECTED
TO SETTLE AFFAIRS
Of RAIL WORKERS
Conferences Between Broth
erhood Heads and U. S. Of
ciaIs Begin Tomorrow.

Settlement of wage demands and
working conditions of the more than
100000 railroad employees of federal
operated roads in the United states is
expected to be the outcome of n series
of conferences between brotherhood
heads and officials of the railroad ad-
ministration. including Director Cen
eral Hines. which will begin at the
railroad administration tomorrow
morning.
The demands. which will he present
ed by the heads of the four great
railroad brotherhoods backed by the
unanimous support of the more than
2.0o0.000 operators and workers, in
clude general wage increases. time
ana half for overtime in certain
cases and rearrangement of working
conditions in the freight service, pas
senger service and in railroad shops.
Fifty Delegates Expected.
More than fifty delegates represent
ing all the railroad brotherhoods are
expected to take part in the confer
ences. The demands of the brother
moods. IL granted. Will extend as far as
ne government is concerned only un-
til March l. when the buck" viii be
put up to the private owners, already
conducting propaganda for general
increases in fares an& freight rates TO
meet increased operating conditions as
an outGrowth of war demands Of
labor.
The demands of the brotherhoods
have been held in allegiance since last
August, when they presented a sched-
ule of general wage increases and
amelioration Of working conditions di-
rect to the President. At that time
President Wilson asked them to wait
until the result of the government
campaign against the high cost of liv-
ing began to show tangible results.
Dissatisfied with the slowness of
the work of the high cost of living
committee, on which are numbered
several cabinet members and heads
of the railroad administration, the
Federal Trade Commi ssion and the
Department of Justice. the employees
will approach the director general to-
morrow morning with a definite pro-
gram for wage betterment and re-
modelling of the working conditions
of railroad employees. They have been
put off for more than six months, and
they nov feel that some definite
action is needed on their demands.
Will Urge $40 Per Cent Increases.
They viii urge wage increases
ranging from to 40 per cent, depend
ent on the character of work the
union employees do, and although it is
not asserted they viii threaten to
strike if their requests are not met, it
is understood they are prepared 10
press the issue to meet their wants.
With general increase in
freight rates to be urged before the
Interstate Commerce Commission. after
the roads, go back to private control,
members of the brotherhoods feel that
some action on their wage demands
is incumbent on the government They
claim that labor is entitled and
should, by all means. get its share of
the increase authorized by the Railroad
Administration in freight and passenger
rates and feel that any further increase
under private operation should be met
with a request for more compensation.
This, however will come after March l.
The only definite action on the
brotherhood demands that has been
taken by the government since the
demands were presented last August
was the offer of time and half for
overtime in the slow freight service,
accepted two months ago and in opera
tion since that time.