Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-02-15

OIIlcldIS OF the brOtnernOOu OF NAM
tenance Of Way Employees and Shop
Laborers did not sign the letter ac-
cepting Mr.. Wilson's proposal. The
president tonight telegraphed to Mr..
Parker calling upon him TO withdraw
the strike order and to make sure
no interruption of transportation
occurs" Mr. Wilson said he felt sure
that the officials of the Maintenance
Of Way Union would realize that
you cannot in justice to your mem
bership and citizens generally Of the
United States persist i'm a course
which is opposed to your obvious duty
to your country"
Requests Withdrawal of Order
The presidents telegram to Mr..
Barker at Detroit follows:
Yesterday l addressed to the chief
executives of the principal railroad
labor organizations including the one
Of which you are president, mes
sage, copy of which has been trans
mitted to you at Detroit have
just received a response indicating
the purpose of the organizations gen
orally to confer on the principles Of
my message, to bring it to the atten-
conference on Feb. % for the pur-
pose of carrying the matter into eff
feet. note with surprise and dis
appointment that your organization
is the only one addressed which has
not expressed its concurrence in this
method Of handling the matter and
understood that no advice has yet
been received of withdrawal of your
strike order which was sent out sew
eral days ago. The director general
Of railroads explained this situation
to your committee as soon as it pre-
sented to him advice of the strike
order and he has since summarized
the position of the government in a
telegram TO you which | fully en-
dorse. ask you to take at once the
, necessary steps to withdraw the strike
order and make sure that no inter
ruption whatever to transportation
occurs on that account in this critical
period
II feel sure that you and your as
sociates upon full consideration will
realize that you cannot in justice to
your membership and the citizens
generally of the United States per-
sist in course which is opposed to
your obvious duty 70 the country. to
the direct and specific request of the
government and also To the attitude
of all other railroad labor organiza-
tions, all for the mere purpose of OBJ
| iectiag to the procedure ] have pro-
| posed which is the only practicable
method Of obtaining a prompt and
reasonable settlement of the import
ant wage questions now pending.
also ask you to send my message and
its inclosure to all your members and
give them the opportunity Of coop
Grating with all the rest of railroad
labor in handling the matter.
| (Signed) WOODROW WILSON"
Plans for Handling Labor Claims
| Assurance was given union off
cials by the president in his proposal
that he would provide machinery 70
deal comprehensively with their
claims. He proposed the naming OF
a commission Of wage experts 10 be-
gin compilation Of data. The presi-
dent said he was certain that it i:
apparent TO all reasonable men anc
women that these momentous uues
tions must be dealt with by an agen
cy which can continue to function af
ter March 1st.
II wish, therefore," he said, "ts
announce to all railroad employees
that propose to carry out the fol
lowing steps:
81. In the event that in connec
tion with the return to private contro
! provision shall be made BY law TO
7 machinery for dealing with railroa,
Continued on page three)