Authorized By President Wilson j
\ to Take Up Railroad
\ Demands I
1 X -
TO* SETTLE THE CASE
ON ITS MERITS
Strikers Notified That No Ac
tion Will Be Taken Until
They Return to Work
Washington, August 7.?President
Wilson tonight notified Director Gen
*eral Hines that he was authorized to
take up the demands of railroad em
ployees for higher wages and decide
- on their demands. The president said
-/the letter sent him by Senator Cum
nains, chairman of the committee on
interstate commerce, "had set me free
to deal as I think best with the dif
ficult question of the wages of certain
classes' of the railroad employees,'*
but-aided: "The chief obstacle 10 a
devisron has been created by the men
themselves. They have gone on! on
a strike and repudiated the authority
of their officers at the very moment
when they were urging action in re
gard to their interests."
The president's decision was an
'nounced tonight from the White
"House in the form of a lettter sent
by him to Mr. Hines. The president
Said that "until the employees return
to work and again recognize the au
thority of their organization the whole
matter must be at a standstill."
The President's letter follows:
'T am just in' receipt of the letter
from Senator Albert B. Cummins,
chairman of the senate committee on
Interstate commerce, which set me
free to deal as I think best with the
difficult question of the wages of
certain classes of railway employees,
and I take advantage of the occasion
'to write you th.s letter in order thr.t
I may, both i nthe public interest and
in the interests of the railroad em
ployees themselves make the present
~ situation clear and definite as pos
sible.
Free to Act. I
"I thought it my duty to lay thej
question in its present pressing form i
before the committee of the senate,!
because I thought I should mor act I
upon this matter wiftiin the brief in- j
terval of government control remain-j
ing without their acquiescence * and j
approval. Senator Cummins' letter.
? which speaks the unanimous judg
ment of the committee leaves me free
and indeed imposes upon me the duty
to act.
The question of the wages of rail
road shopmen was submitted, you will
remember,, to the , board of railroad
wages and working conditions of th
railroad administration last February,
but was not reported trpon by the
, board until the 16th. of July. The de
lay was unavoidable because the board
was continually engaged in dealing
with several, wage matters affecting
. classes of employees who had not
(previously received consideration.
The board now having appraised us
of this inability, at any rate for the
? time being to agree upon recommen
dation it is clearly our duty to pro
ceed wth the matter in the hope of
disposing of it.
"You are therefore authorized to
say to the railroad shop emjjjoyees
that the question of Wages they have
raised will be taken up and considered
on its merits by the director general
in conference with their duly accred
ited representatives. I hope that you
will make it clear to the men concern
ed that the railroad administration
cannot deal with problems of this sort
or with any problems affecting the
men except through the duly chosen i
international officers or the regularly j
constituted organization and their au-'j
ihorized committees. Matters of so va- j
rious a nature and affecting so many,
men can not deal with,except in this !
way. .v Any action which brings the J
authority of the authorized represen-!
tatives of the organization into ques- j
. tion discredits it, must interfere with I
if not prevent, action altogether. The
chief obstacle to a decision has been
created by the men themselves. They
have gone on strike and repudiated
the authority of their officers at the
very moment when they were urging
action in regard to various interests
Men Refuse to Wait.
"You will remember that a con
ference between yourself and the au
thorized representatives of the men j
was arranged at the instance of these j
representatives for July 28 to discuss
the wage question and the question
of a national j agreement, but tfcfore
this conference took place or could
take place, local bodies of railway
shopmen took action looking toward
a strike on the first of August. As a
result uf this action, various strikes
. actually took place before there was
an opportunity to act in a satisfac
tory or conclusive way with respect to
the wages. ? In the presence of thees
strikes and the repudiation of the
? authority of the\ representatives of
? the organization concerned, there can
be no consideration of the matter in
controversy. Until the employees re
turn to work and again recognize the
authority of their organization. th<
whole matter must be at a standstill '
"When federal control of the rail
roads began, the railroad admims
? tration accepted existing agreements
between the shopmen's organization
and the several railroad companies
and by agreement machinery was cre
ated for handling the grievances -f j
the shopmen's crganization of all the
railways whether they had hereto
fore had the benefits of definite
agreement or not. There can be no
question, therefore, of the readine >
of the government to deal in a spirit
of fairness and by regular methods
With any matters the men may brine
to their attention. Concerned and very
careful consideration is being given bv
the entire government to the question
o? reducing the high cost of living.
; War Department Will Sell Food
Supplies Below the Current
I i
Market Rates
I RELIEF IS IN SIGHT
FOR GENERAL PUBLIC
I Government Endeavoring to
Break Strangle Hold of Prof
j iteers on the People
Washington, Aug. 9.?The war de
partment made public today a com
plete pre* i'.f-1 ? ii all. suh.?;.s'.en<ie
i stores available for sale to the public
through the parcel post or througn
municipal selling agencies. Costs of
the commodities to the government,
the department said, had been disre
[ garded entirely in fixing the prices of
I sale which are materially lower char,
prevailing market rates.
The prices quoted are f. o. b. and
from storage points in each of the
13 districts into which the country is
divided for war department 'subsist
ence purposes. The department now
is redistributing the food supplies
in the 13 areas in order that each
may have its proportion per popula
tion, of the seventy-two' articles of
fered for public sale.
The price tables include the price
per can or individual units in each
case and also the price per case or
large container. It also shows the
gross weight per can and per case in
order that the public may arrive a?
the price they will have to pay by
adding parcel post rates from the
nearest distribution point to the hbme
of the consumer to the f. o. b. prices
quoted.
Municipal' selling agencies will com
pute freight charges on these ship
ments to be added to the price quoted
by the war department. On the par
cel post distribution, no orders will
be received direct by the war depart
ment but only through the: postoffice
department which will requisition the
supplies by case or larger package,
the postmaster in turn breaking those
shipments up into unit packages of a
single can or several cans.
Sales to municipalities at the new
prices will begin as soon as the sur
plus property offices at the various
zone supply offices and depots have
i;eceived_ the quotations made public
today. Sales to individuals through
the parcel post will be inaugurated
Aug?st 18 and before that time all
postmasters will have a price quota
tion list from which the consumer
may order.
The department emphasized that no
change in the policy of sales to mu
nicipalities had been made, the only
alteration being in prices. If a mu
nicipality is unable to buy or sell food
stuffs owing to its charter or local
laws, the department will ship to it
upon consignment subsistence stores
in not less than case or car load lots,
the goods to be paid for or returned
within 30 days from date of receipt.
Shipments of this character. howeYer.
will be made only when the mayor or
head of the local government either
acts as the federal government's
agent and supervises the distribution
of the food, or appoints some one to
so act. Although only 72 staples art
enumerated in the price list, the item
ized quotations owing to the variety
of packing are,, quite lengthy. Quota
tions on some of the leading commo 1
ities are:
/Bacon. $4.15 per can of 17 pounds:
corned beef. 55 cents for can of 1.36
pounds: baked beans, 5 cents per can
of 1 1-2 pounds; sweet corn, 10 cents
per 2 1-4 pounds can; dry beans.
$6.49 per 100 pounds; crackers. 5
and 6 cents a pound: army flour. ?6
per loo pounds; macaroni, 7 cents per
1 1-2 pounds; rolled oats. 12 cents
per two pounds; seeded raisins. i0
cents per pound; rice. $G.74 per 100
pounds, tomatoes. 9 cents per 2 pound
can, and white corn meal, $3.50 per
100 pounds.
STATE OF SIEGE
IS DECLARED
Commander of the Roumanian
Troops in Budapest Keeps
Order
Vienna, Aug. S.?A state of seige
has been proclaimed in Budapest, ad-!
vices state. It is reported that the j
ocnimander of the Rumanian troops
has issued an order that any crime
against Jews will be punished by
death. Budapest transportation has
been cut off and there is great danger
of famine. The allied officials have
urged the lifting of the embargo
placed on supplies by the Rumanians.
I need hardly point out how inti
mately and directly this matter af
fects every individual in the nation,
and if transportation is interrupted,
it will be impossible to solve it. This
is a time when every employee of the j
railways should help to make the pro- i
cesses of transportation more easy I
and economical rathe]- than less, and |
employees who are on strikes are de- i
liberatejy delaying a settlement of
their wage problems and of their
standard of living- They should
promptly return to work and I hope
that you will urge upon their rep- |
resentatives the immediate necessity
for their doing so.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
Wood row Wilson."
Plinrs Takes Action.
Director General Hines notified th<
unions immediately that the railroad
administration was ready to -take
ui> the question "as soon as the em
ployees return to work." in a letter to
B. M. Jewell, acting president of th^
Railway employees department of
the American Federation of Labor.
Several Methods of Giving Re
lief to People Suggested
to Congress
HIGH PRICES CAUSED
BY VICIOUS PRACTICES
He Discussed Strike Situation
and Expressed Opinion That
Idle Men Make Matters Worse
Washington, Aug. S.-President
Wilson laid several speeifie proposals
before congress today for checking
the high cost of living, but at the
same time declared permanent results
could not be expected until peace time
bases were fully restored by ratifica
tion of the peace treaty.
High prices, the President told con
gress, were not justified by shortage
of supply, either present or prospect
ive, but were created in many cases
"artificially and deliberately" by-~va
rious practices." Retailers, he. said,
were responsible in large part for ex
tortionate prices.
Strikes, the President warned the
labor world, would only make matters
worse and those who sought to em
ploy threats- or coercion were only
"preparing their own destruction."
Leaders of organized labor, the Presi
dent said, he was sure would present
ly yield,to second sober thought.
"Illegal" and "criminal" were the
words the President used; in charac
terizing the methods by which some
present day prices have been brought
about. \
Present laws, he said, would be en
ergetically employed to the limit to
force out food hoards and meet the
situation so far -as possible but to
supplement the existing statutes he
specifically urged the following:
Licensing of all corporations en
gaged in interstate commerce, with
specific regulations designed to secure
competitive selling and prevent "un
conscionable profits" in the method of
marketing.
Extension of the food control act to
peace times and the applications of its
provisions against hoarding to fuel,
clothing and other necessities of life
as well as food.
A penalty in the food control act
for profiteering.
A law regulating cold storage, lim
iting the time during which goods
\ may be held prescribing a method of
disposing of them if held beyond the
permitted period and requiring that
when released, goods bear the date of
storage.
Laws requiring that goods released
I from storage for interstate commerce
bear the selling prices at which they
went into storage and requiring that
all goods destined for interstate com
merce bear the prices at which they
left the hands of the producer.
Enactment of the pending bill for
the control of security issues.
Additional appropriations for gov
ernment agencies which can supply
the public with full information as to
prices which retailers buy.
Early ratification of the peace treaty J
so that the free process of supply and
demand can operate.
Immediate steps by executive agen-1
cies of the government promised by
the President included:
The limiting and controlling of
wheat shipments and credits to facili
tate the purchase of wheat in such a
way as not to raise, but rather to
lower the price of flour at home.
Sale of surplus stock of goods and
clothing in the hands of the govern
ment. The forced withdrawal from
storage and sale of surplus stocks in
pmvate hands.
General recommendations include:
Increase of production.
Careful buying by housewives.
Fair dealing with the people on the
part of producers, middlemen and
merchants.
That there be no threats and un
| due insistence upon the interest of
j single classes.
Correction of "many things" in^the
j relation between capital and labor in
respect to wages and conditions of
labor.
I In concluding the President made a
plea for deliberate, intelligent action,
reminding congress that an unbal
anced world was looking to the Unit
led States.
"We and we almost alone." he said,
"now hold the world steady. Upon
our steadfastness and self possesion
depend The affairs of nations every
where. It is in this supreme crisis
?this crisis for all mankind? that
America must prove her metal.
WANT EVIDENCE
ON PROFITEERS
Department of Justice Agents
Ordered to Collect Proof
Washington. Aug. 9.? Department
of Justice agents have been ordered to
assist the district attorney in uncov
ering evidence of profiteering. The at
torney general ordered the agents to
drop everything except the most press
ing cases in the campaign to reduce
living cost.
Washington, Aug. 9.?Numerous
reports received in the department of
justice indicated that much evidence
against the profiteers has already
been accumulated. There will be
prosecutions soon in many parts o'
the country. State officials are urg<-<i
to cooperate with the federal authori
ties, j
Buenos Aires. Aug. 9.?A decree
(prohibiting the exportation of sugar
has been promulgated by the govern
ment
Legal Advisor of Organized La
bor Cross?Examined By
Senate Committee
AUTHOR OF RAILWAY
OWNERSHIP PLAN
One Feature of Testimony Was
Threat That Labor Will Resort
to Revolution if Necessary
"Washington. Aug. 8.?All day long
from a witness chair before the house
interstate commerce committee, Glenn
E. Plumb, counsel for the railroad
brotherhoods and author of organized
labor's plan for tripartite control of
railroads, responds today to sharp
questioning for the semicircle of com
mittee members who called on him to
explain every phase of the labor bill.
Through it all, Mr. Plumb clung
steadfastly to the assertion number
less times repeated, that the railroad
unions aimed to eliminate the motive
of operation for profit and substitute
the motive of operation for service,
to which he added the corollary that
"it means democracy in industry with
out which, democracy in palitics is a
mere shell and sham."
Gravely. Plumb talked of revolu
tion as an alternative in case the
adoption of "some such plan" was not
obtained by political action- through
j congress and said that was the de
termination of the masses of men
whom "he represented, "though I hope
never to live to see the day." ,
The income of the Plumb plan
league, organized to forward the la
bor bill's passage, he said, was "in the
neighborhood of $100,000 or $125,000
annually now," though only organized
in July. He estimated that its income
shortly would be $500.000 and implied
that it might run up to five or six
millions. All of this, he said, was
coming from brotherhood members.
"The situation is that our men be
lieve they have come to a new day,"
Plumb told the committee. "They
have spent their money and their
lives to secure liberty and now found
that without liberty and democracy in
industry they have only the shell of
liberty to live. We intend to get it
lawfully and through the constitu
tion, by the ballot."
"But if that is not possible, what
will be done?" Representative Saun
ders. Republican. Indiana, asked.
"Then, it means something else."
"What else? the Indiana represen
tative persisted.
"Ah, there is no doubt in your
mind or in mine as to that." Mr.
Plumb responded. "If the forces of
reaction prevent the adoption of this
program by lawful means, we know
the way of history."
! "Revolution is a word that should
not be used lightly," Mr. Saunders ob
served.
"I hope never to live to see thetday
when the methods necessary go furth
er than those I have outlined," Mr.
Plumb responded.
"In essentials, this is the Russian
soviet plan of industrial operation, is
it not? Mr. Saunders continued.
"I don't know anything about the
soviet plan." Mr. Plumb said, "or
prather. I am only familiar with the
popular misconception of what is the
Russian soviet plan."
"Misconception ? Mr. *" Saunders
nounced at the expression. "I am at
loss to understand how you know the
popular understanding to be a mis
conception of the soviet system unless
vou understand as well what the un
derstanding should be."
"Well, in popular understanding the
soviet is a system by which a bunch
of workmen grab all the property and
'divide it up among themselves." Plumb
retorted. "I can not believe that such
a state of affairs could actually exist
in any society. It is inconceivable to
me that this should be fact about the
Russian situation."
THE PLUMB PLAN
Government ownership, acquired by
exchange of government bonds for
securities now held by investors. Val
ue of the railroads to be determined
by the courts.
An operating corporation of rive
men to represent the public, named by;
the president; five elected by the op-j
erating officers; five by the classified
employes.
Consolidation of roads into a sin
gle system, with sub-divisions under
the control of boards consisting of
men named by the national board of
control and the operating officers and
classified employes.
Equal division each year of surplus
accruing from increased efficiency, be
tween the government and the rail
road employes. Surplus above a cer
tain per cent of operating costs to re
sult in automatic reduction of rates
Rate making power in the hands of
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Wage and working conditions ad
justed by boards similar to those op
erating under the Railroad Adminis
tration. Board of Directors to have
final voice. Wages determined by the
Board of Directors.
Extensions to be paid for by com
munities benefited. Extension of no
benefit to the communities in which
they are located to be paid bv tb<
Government, from its share of sur
plus.
Endorsed and supported by the or
ganized Railway employes. American
Federation of Labor, various farm or
ganizations.
Berne. Aug. 9.?The general strike
.??t Basle ended in a complete!
failure, the Communist party advocat-i
ing a soviet government being de-j
feated.
Berlin, Aug. 9.?The first uncen
sored mail from America; has arrived.
OTH & JkMcLEOD
UILDING IVlATERIAL*
INCORPORATED
COURTESY
QUALITY
Thirty-three Thousand Whites
Quit When Negroes Re^ .,..
turn to Work
REMOVAL OF CITY
GUARD DEMANDED
City Officials Refuse to With
draw Troops and Other Guards
From Black Belt
Chicago, August 8.?Thirty-three
thousand stock yard employees went
on strike, following the return of five
thousand negroes to work- The white
workers demanded the withdrawal of
troops, police and guards, wb_ich was
refused by the city authorities.
BAPTISTS'GET
MONEY NEEDED
Tennessee and North Carolina
Raise Quotas
Nashville, Aug. 8.?-Baptists of both
Tennessee and North Carolina have
already voluntarily raised their quo
tas in the Baptist $75,000,000 cam
paign, it was announced. at general
headquarters in this city Friday. Ten
nessee has raised " her quota from
$4,000,000. to $4,160,000 while North
Carolina has gone from $5,550,000 to
$6,000,000.
To lead; a conference of 50.0 picked
laymen and other leaders of North
Carolina in 36 hour period of prayer
and conservation Saturday and Sun
day Dr. L. R. Scarborough, general
director, left for Raleigh tonight.
Washington, Aug. 8.?Organized la
bor is not willing for the government
to operate the railroads because it
does not believe any great industry
can be efficiently conducted by any
political autocracy, Glenn Plumb told
the house commerce committee to
day.
San Salvador, Aug. 8?The Hondu
ran revolutionist forces were defeats
ed by government troops at Gaus
coora, according to advices today.
Heavy rebe llosses are reported.
Paris, Aug. 8.?The refusal of the
Rumanians to comply with the peace
council demands is causing great em
barrassment, v
London. Aug. 8.?The Allies have
demand th^ surender of General
Kruska prison camp commander at
Kaiser, as the first German offieia to
be tried for violating international
law. It is charged that he was re
sponsible for the typhus epidemic,
causing the death of 3,000 French
prisoners.
Cologne, Aug 8.?A committee has
been formed to promote the estab-1
lishmenr. of the Rhineland Republic.
Dr. Dorten, president of the republic,
has planned a speaking tour.
Berlin, Aug 8.?A commission has
been appointed to devise means for
increasing coal production in Get
many to avoid freezing and starving
during the winter.
Paris, Aug. 8.?Herbert Hoover left
today for Vienna oh a tour of the cen
tral European capitals investigating
'food and economic conditions.
Paris, Aug. 8.?Warsaw' dispatches
today stated that the Polish troops,
have occupied Minsk.
Vienna, Aug. 7.?There is no inten
tion of making the Archduke Joseph
king of Hungary, according to Buda
pest advices. The Archduke is sur
rounded by Monarchist influences bur
it is declared he is a democrat and has!
the title of president.
Zeurich. Aug. 8.?King Ferdinand,
of Rumania, has arrived in Budapest.
Brussels, Aug. 8.?King Albert is to
start on his visit to the United States
about the middle of September. Car
dinal Merceir starts on September 4.
Paris. Aug. 8.?Clemenceau's pres
ence at the first League of Nations
meeting in Washington is desired in
American quarters, the Echo de Paris
says.
Paris. Aug. 8.?An agreement has
been reached for the sale of Ameri
can army stocks to France for four
hundred million dollars.
Washington, August 8.?Senator
Norris proposed today the repeal of
the wheat guarantee, so farmers may
get a high price.
WILL NOT TREAT
Director General Hines Waiting
On Men to Resume.
Work
_?
ALL UNION OFFICIALS
HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
When Employees Have Returned;
to Duty the Wage. Demands
Will Be Considered
Washington Aug. &.?Director Gen
eral Hines is awaiting word f^bmthe.
unions that the men will resume^orjc ?
before he will attempt to settlev the
wage demands of railway men. -IPiye
hundred local union chairmen have
been notified that the men should-re
turn to work by union officials here,
A new board may be appointed' 'JtX> ,
consider the controversy with equal
representation for both sides. .
FIRST BREAK
IN THE STRIKE
Thousand Shopmen Return to
Await Yojte on Strike
Atlant, August 7.?The firsi break
in the strike of the shopmen in the
Southeast came today when l.OOO.eht
ployes of the Norfolk and .Western
Railroad at Roanoke voted to return*
to work tomorrow to await results
of the vote on a general strike. IVfean- .
time other railroads in the Southeast
j were working under a suspension- of
[freight traffic except perishables.. Pas
senger trains were generously running
on time but Pullman sleeping cars had
j been eliminated from certain" trains* v
So far as could be ascertained the em
bargo had not had serious, -conse
quences as yet.
_-_?;
I WHIRLWIND COT
TON CAMPAIGN
State Manager B. F. McLord
Outlines Tim to. Enroll
Members
j Columbia, S. Ci, Aug. 9-?Plans for
j the whirlwind membership campaign ^
j to be conducted by the South .Carolina
j Cotton * Association the last of this
j month provide for ? mass7 meeting.
; to be held in every ' co?nty in. the
State during the four days' period
from August 19. to 22; inclusive, the
week prior to the membership ? cam
paign.
B. P. McLeod, State manager, has
secured a number of the very beat/
speakers in the State for these mass
meetings. They are men who are in
terested in the movement, and be
cause of their desire to see it -Suc
ceed, have offered their services^ for
these meetings. Mr. McLeod states
that he will within a few days pre
pare the, itinerary for the speakers
and -will advise each of the county
chairmen the date fixed for the meet
ing in his county and the speakers
for his county.
The prospects for success, of the
membership campaign in South Caro
lina are exceedingly bright, declared
Mr. McLeod today. "South Carolina
will rally splendidly to the support
of the cotton association," he said,
"because our people know of the
magnificent work it has done. We
hope to secure, a minimum of .50,000
members in this state. I believe .^e
will not be disappointed. Every fawn
er, merchant, banker and professional
man in the State is asked to join
and we believe that most of then* wi?L
The organization of the farmers, raier
chants, bankers and professional meir
of the South offe-cs to this section the
greatest opportunity it has ever had;"
The dues for membership fet the
association from date of application
for membership to January . 1, 19^1,
will be 25 cents per bale of cotton
produced in 1917. and 25 cents per
thousand dollars capital invested in
mercantile and other classes of .busi
ness, banks or manufacturing plants.
Professional men will pay $3. each.
The dues for 1921 and 1922 Will be
10 cents per bale of cotton and 10
cents per thousand dollars capital per
artnum. The dues will include the^
subscription to the Cotton Journal to
be published by the American Cot
ton Association.
Constantinople. Aug. 8. ? General
Sir George Milne, commander of the
British forces in Saloniki, h?fc be?$i
given authority by *'\e peace confer
ence to control all allied troops in
western Asia Minor and; to restore
order in the Smyrna district.