Evening star., 1944-01-07
Presidential Board
Meets 10 Map Plans
For Rail Pay Hearings
BY the Associated Press.


A three-man presidential board
appointed to consider additional
claims in the wage dispute in
volving Is incorporating railroad
unions planned to meet infor-
mally today to study the assign
ment and plan hearings.
Railroad circles expect hearings
will be started early next week, in
asmuch as the board was given only
80 days from January to make
its report.
Meanwhile, Labor. weekly news
paper published by group of rail-
road unions, asserted yesterday that
the high personage-widely reported
to be Gen. George G. Marshall-who
made the New Year eve statement
about the cost of steel and railroad
strike threats acted on instructions
from some one still higher in the
administration.
An editorial cartoon pictured
James F. Byrnes, war mobilization
director, as saying to the President,
Listen, boss, have another bright
idea to cripple labor unions"
White House Accused.
The headline over the publica-
tion's news story OF the incident
was, "Strangest of Propaganda
William Green, AFL president and
William Green, AFL president, and
others have attributed the state
ment to Gen. Marshall. The per-
sonage, who asked to remain anony-
nous, told newsmen the strike
threats had been put to propaganda
use by Germany and had dimmed
Allied hopes of anti-Nazi revolts
in occupied lands this winter.
why was Gen. Marshall dragged
into the rail wage controversy" an
editorial in Labor asked. Surely
the chief of staff has his hands
full preparing for the approaching
invasion of Northern Europe. Why
should the White House prompt this
capable soldier to put on false
whiskers and make an international
incident out of a dispute which
could and should have been settled
by the President of the United
States in "a hours on perfectly rea-
sonable terms?
Raise Many Questions.
'Was it because the American
people were beginning to ask highly
embarrassing questions about the
taking over of the railroads? Did
the White House desire to avoid
giving straightforward answers to
those questions and hoped to divert
public attention from the main
issue by launching the silly tale
that the mere mention of a strike
in the United States would prolong
the conflict in Europe six months?
1--WE do not accept the contention
that Gen. Marshall did what he did
on his own motion. He is not that
kind of soldier. He got his instruc-
tions from higher up, and those in
structions were so definite he felt
he had to obey. Any one who can
didly examines the facts cannot es-
cape that conclusion"
Members of the presidential board
are Judge Elwyn r. Shaw, Spring
field, Ill; Judge Richard F. Mitchell,
Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Walter c.
Clephane, Washington attorney
The same three men made up the
previous presidential board which
recommended shding-scale increases
of to 10 cents for the 100000 nom
operating employees.
To Consider Overtime Claims.
Their new assignment is to con-
slider overtime claims, but it is un-
certain whether the 4 to 10 cents
can be reconsidered in conjunction
with the overtime issue. The unions
insist they are entitled to overtime
Independent of other considerations. |
The Presidents stabilization chiefs,
Mr.. Byrnes and Fred M. Vinson,
have declined to clarity the presi-
Dental order on that point.
Chief executives of the Is unions
discussed the terms of the order yes
terday and planned to reconvene to-
day. They said no conclusions had
been reached. 1t was doubtful that
they would submit their cases to the
board and agree to accept the deci-
sion without advance assurance of
the scope of the boards authority.
An enlarged representation of
three operating unions-firemen,
conductors and switchmen-con-
tinued their discussions today after
adopting a resolution concerning the
engineers and trainmen for with
drawing from the united front and
accepting arbitration in the rail-
road wage controversy.
D. B. Robertson of the firemen,
H. M. Fraser of the conductors and
T. G. Cashen of the switchmen re-
ceived a vote of confidence from
their committees. The resolution
added: 1--WE do hereby condemn and
denounce the dishonorable action
taken by the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers and Brotherhood
of Railroad Trainmen, above recited,
as being inimical to the interests of
all employees engaged in engine,
train and ward service"