Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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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.