The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-02-11
HINES TO REPLY
TO WAGE DEMAND
Taking Responsibility as R. R.
Director, Then Report
to Wilson.
PRESIDENT. FINAL COURT

Washington. Feb. 11.-CA. P.)-Di-
rector General Hines will make an
swer to the wage demands of the
100000 railroad workers on his own
responsibility and from the stand
point Of the railroad administration
and will then report to the presi-
dent, it was stated today at the
White House. Mr.. Wilson then will
approve of the decision.
Heretofore the president generally
has passed upon wage decisions be-
fore the railroad administration S
answer was given to the union rep
resentativeS. No reason was assigned
for the departure from the usual
custom in this case In the light of
the urgent demands Of the trainmen
and the strike call issued by officers
of the brotherhood of maintenance
Of way employees both railroad ad-
ministration and White House otfi-
cials regard the situation as eX-
tremely grave. Mr.. Hines has held
II long conferent with Secretary
Tumulty, who has submitted a
memorandum on the subject to the
president Mr.. Wilson still has this
memorandum before him.
Conferences between Mr.. Hines
and the brotherhood officers were to
have been resumed this morning, but
at the appointed hour neither side
was ready to go ahead and the
meeting was postponed euntil $3.50
o'clock this afternoon.
The committee Of ten, represent
ing the brotherhood of maintenance
of way employees, arrived here today
from Detroit and Immediately went
into conference with ]. w. Malloy,
vice. president of the ,saaion, and its
other representative in the wage
negotiations with Mr.. Hines.
Members of the committee refused
to discuss the strike order or any
phase of the wage controversy. They
were expected to attend the general
conference of the union officials with
Mr.. Hines later in the day. Railroad
administration officials said they had
not been asked by the maintenance
of way employees for a private meet
ing with Mr.. Hines.
Lee Has Given Notice.
w. G. Lee, head of the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen, has said
that he has given notice of the ter
minatiOn of the wage agreement
which his brotherhood holds with the
railroad administration, but has not
announced that the organization
would strike.
The leaders are agreed that a
strike while the railroads are under
government control would be unwise,
To add to the confusion, opposition
to the railroad bill conference agree
ment has developed and Representa-
tive Sims announced that he viii
fight this report. A fight may mean
that the legislation cannot be passed
before March /, when the railroads
a to be returned to their private
owners, and it being practically GER
tain that the president would not re-
turn the roads with strike in prog
ress, it was rather generally sur
missed here today that If conditions
do not take a decided change for the
better the president may extend the
period of government control which
would be very gratifying to the or
ganiZations of railroad workers.
Defy lnjunotIons.
Detroit, Mich, Feb. l1.-Allen F..
Barker. grand president of the Broth
erhood of Maintenance of Way En-
ployes, declared today that his or
gan zation would pay no attention"
to any injunction issued by any fed
eral judge in this country to prevent
the strike of 100000 of his followers
on Feb. II.