Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1919 — TELLS HINES TO END RAIL STRIKE [ARTICLE]

TELLS HINES TO END RAIL STRIKE

President Instructs Director General to Fix Wage of the Workers. . ! ■ DECIDE DEMANDS ON MERITS Wilson Insists, However, That Mar Must lieturn to Work First——■ 450,000 Other Kail Workers Voting on Strike Proposition. j Washington, Aug. 8. —B. M. Jewelf* acting president of the AmerlcagM •'<! erat lon of Labor, wired all railway employees to return Immediately to work pending President- WiU son’s action on the wage adjustHM|H' j Washington, Aug. 8— President. Wltson riotlfied Director General Hina® that he was authorized to take up th» demands of railroad shop employa#®for higher wages and decide them on their merits. The president’s decision was announced from the White House in tSM| form of n letter sent by him to IM! Hines. The president said that “until the employees return to work and again recognize the authority of their organisation, the whole matter must, remain at a standstill.** Letter Seta Him Free. The president said that the lettersent him by Senator Cummins, chairman of the committee on Interstate commerce, "had set mo free to deal ns I think best with the difficult question of wages of certain classes of th® railroad employees," but added: "The chief obstacle to a decision has been created by the men themselves. They have gone on a strike and dieted the authority of their officers nt the very moment when they were urging action In regard to their interests." With the railroad shopmen’s strike growing more acute hourly, DirectorGeneral Hines conferred with President Wilson ns to the possibility of Immediate settlement without recourse, to congress. Upon leaving the president, Mr. Hines sent a hurried call to Director of Operations Tyler of the railroad administration nnd two other officials and held a lengthy secret meeting at the executive offices. Participants at the second conference made known that the strike of shopmen had been spreading to the point where 80,000 men were out and the possibility of a railroad tleup was Imminent Consider Entire Question. The entire subject of methods of settlement, with particular stress on the solution that could be effected without waiting for congressional action, was considered. The 450,0 w members of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks (freight handlers, station, express and steamship employees) began voting today as to whether they will strike Immediately for increased wages or await a solution of the wage question along the lines of the proposal made to congress by Director General Hines. In announcing the issuing of the strike ballot, J. J. Forrester, president of the brotherhood, said this conference with Mr. Hines had not resulted in any change in the situation. Mr. Hines, he said, had nothing further to offer than the proposal for a congressional commission the whole wage problem. Must Have Relief. "The situation with our men," said Mr. Forrester, “is that we must have immediate relief, or our members will commence seeking employment In occupations where they can make a living for themselves and their families. They have been so loyal in numberless cases now that they have eyen. sold their Liberty bonds to live on during the last few months. Our hope is that congress can take some action at once to relieve them.” Increases sought by. the men, Mr. Forrester said, approximate 20 cents an hour over present scales, with time and a half for overtime.