Arizona republican., 1921-02-07
WILSON REFUSES .TO INVESTIGATE
 CHARGE MADE BY
 UNIONS AGAINST RAIL OPERATORS
President Confident Rail- road Labor Board Can Adjust Demands Of Oper- ators Without Advice
TRepubIIcan A. p. Leased wireJ

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6-President Wilson today refused the request of railroad labor union representatives that he investigate railroad executives claims before the railroad labor board that the carriers must adjust wages or face bankruptcy He also declined to submit the matter to congress-
 Confidence was expressed by the president that all questions dealing with railroad labor and management might be left safely to the railroad labor board and the interstate com merce commission. He accordingly informed the labor and railroad rep resentatiyes that he was submitting copies of telegrams received from them to these bodies.
 The presidents telegram said:
 q have considered the telegrams ad- dressed to me dealing with the labor questions and railroad management under consideration by the railroad labor board.
 "The transportation act places all questions dealing with finances and railway management and rates under the Jurisdiction of the interstate com merce commission, hence all questions l involving the expense of operation, the necessities of the railways, and the amount of money necessary to secure the successful operation, are now under He The act placed all questions of dis pute between carriers and their em- ployes and subordinate officials under the Jurisdiction of the railway labor board, sitting in Chicago. So far as I am advised the board may be re- consideration to all questions within l its Jurisdiction. To seek to influ ence either body on anything which 1 has been placed within their juris- dictjon by congress, would be unwise and open to grave objection. Tt would be manifestly unwfse for 1 me, therefore. to take any action which would interfere with the orderly pro- cedure of the interstate commerce. commission or of the railway labor board, and all the matters mentioned l in your telegram are within the juris- diction of one or the other of ths bodies; and in their action I think ] we may repose confidence.
 Tt does not seem wise to comply with your suggestion that the matter.
 be submitted to congress, and the only action deemed necessary is to submit l copies of the telegrams to the inter- state commerce commission and to the
 railroad labor board"
 The telegram was addressed to !. F. Anderson, ce-president of the Inter- national Association of Machinists: Thomas Dewitt Cuyler, chairman of l the Association of Railway Executives and F. F. Grable, grand president of the United Brotherhood Of Mainten- ance Employees and Railway shop 1 Laborers
 The reply of the president to the
 two telegrams sent by the railroad 1 labor unions and to the telegram from
 the Association of Railway Executives,
 is understood to have been based on recommendations of Secretary Payne
 who still acts as director general of 1 the railroad administration. Union Leaders Non CommittaI l CHICAGO, Feb. 6.-President Will 1 sons telegram had not been received 1 tonight and neither would represen- tatives of the labor unions comment on the press copies.
 l The railway labor board tomorrow
 will reconvene its hearing into the de- I mand of the roads that the national agreement be abrogated.
 Operators Pleased l CHICAGO, Feb. 6.-Thomas Dewitt Cuyler, chairman of the Association Of Railway Executives, tonight replied to President Wilson's telegram by tele- graphing him that the railroads were gratified that he had seen fit to refer
 the questions involved to the inter state commerce commission, and the
 railway labor board
 Railway labor union leaders deferred comment c1 President Wilson's tele- gram until tomorrow