VOT. T.'V f) 18 840 Entered at Portland (Oregon)
Uti. Aj-A. 10,OiU. PnKtofflce as Second-Class Matter.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1921 .
PRICE FIVE CEXTS
2.00010 111
ROAD TO CORVALLIS
TO ADD 12 RED CARS
SOUTHERN PACIFIC ELECTRIC
jLrXES TO GET EQTJIPMEXT.
OREGON WHEAT CROP
THIRD BEST JN UNION
AVERAGE THROUGHOUT STATE
20.7 BUSHEIS TO ACRE. -
ARBITERS ADVISE CUT
IN BUILDING WAGES
REDUCTION OF 10 PER CENT
, OX MAT 1 SUGGESTED.
FIRST WATERS POUR
OVER 0CH0C0 DAM
E
GIAXT IRRIGATION PROJECT
LEAPS INTO REALITY.
N TO
WHEAT.GHOWERS
DRAWN IfJTO LINE
NATION -TO ENTER
ERA OF REFORMS
Republicans in Complete
Control of Government.
RAIL
WON
British Miners, Trans
port Workers to Quit.
EFFORTS AT PEACE FAIL
4,000,OOOtoBeId!e if Tie-Up
Materializes Industrial
War Proclaimed.
MILITARY TO BE USED
King
Declares State of Emer
gency and Calls on Peo-
pie to Aid Police.
OVTST.WDIXG FEATURES OP
GREAT BRITISH STRIKE.
Two million men expected to
walk out by Tuesday midnight.
Four million persons to be
idle, if strike materializes.
One and one-half million per
sons now on unemployed regis
ters. Eight hundred thousand per- f
sons working only an short time. I
Government efforts at com- f
promise rejected. i
King declares state of emer- J
gency exists and military re- 4
serves will o called in. f
Volunteer force to assist po-
lice to be organized. t
Strike brought about by re- T
fusal of workers to accept re-
duction In wages. J
............ .... .....4
LONDON, April 8. (By the As
sociated Press.) Tuesday midnight,
unless there is some new develop
ment in the meantime, will see the
6tart -of the greatest labor struggle
in the ountry's history.
Approximately 2,000,000 workers
then will have ceased their duties in
protest against what they consider
to be an organized attempt on the
part of the employers to force a
general reduction in wages.
This is the central fact of the
labor situation as it developed today
in a breakdown in the miners' con
ference and a consequent decision by
the triple alliance made up of min
ers and railroad and transport work
ers for the first time since it was
organized that its entire member
ship, roughly estimated at 1,000,000
miners and 500,000 each from the
railway and transport workers' or
ganizations, should quit work in sup
port of the miners' strike.
Strike Declared Intimidation.
The government's standpoint, as
voiced by Premier Lloyd George in
a brief speech in the house of com-
nons this afternoon, is that the ac
tion of the miners and the other
members of the tripe"alliance is an
attempt by direct action to intimi
date parliament, and the nation. The
premier announced the military and
other measures which the govern
ment intended to take to defeat 'this
attempt.
The standpoint of the miners is
that the sudden removal of control
of the coal mines is the result of a
pact between the government and
the mine owners to enable the own
ers to enforce an unjustifiable re
duction. in wages.
The attitude of the railway men is
that unless there. is support of the
miners at the present time a similar
dilemma will happen to the railway
men on some' future occasion when
the railways are released from gov
ernment control. '
Only Weapon Used.
The refusal of the miners to yield
on the question of permitting pump
men 10 return to tne mines naa as
its motive a . conviction that the
withdrawal o the pumpmen is the
only weapon in their hands. They
argued that a few weeks' cessation
of work will not really injure the
mine owners, who, considering the
depressed condition of industry,
have ample stocks " of coal on the
surface. . They . declared that -the
mine owners have brought this fate
upon themselves by including the
pumpmen . among those whose con
tracts will be canceled unless they
accept new wage terms made, not
through joint discussion but by the
mine owners themselves. ' ... .
The arguments of the miners found
; iConcuded oa Pae 2. Column 3.)
Rolling Stock Will Cost Twice
That of Present Cars, but
Will Improve Service.
Despite the fact that electric rail
roads in Oregon are not on a paying
basis. It was officially announced
here ytsterday that the Southern Pa
cific has ordered and will receive in
May 12 thoroughly modern, fully
equipped red electric cars for use on
Its Portland-Corvallls system. ''They
probably will be- in operation about
July 15, according to J. A. Ormandy,
assistant general passenger agent.
The new cars will cost 137,000 each
just about double what the ones
now In operation cost the Southern
Pacific The Pullman company Is
making the bodies, tlje Baldwin Lo
ccmotive works the trucks and the
Westlnghouse company the electrical
equipment. Every feature of con
struction will be of the highest type
an J latest improved. .
"The new cars will bring our roll
ng stock on the electric system up to
its full complement," said Mr. Or
mandy. "We have never had-, any
emergency cars on that line, as the
present ones were obtained before the
war and we never had an opportunity
before this to purchase additional
ones. When we have the 12 new cars
in operation. It will enable us to give
even better service, with sufficient
rolling stock to accommodate more
fully any special demands, such as
excursions."
While there has been a steady aver
age increase in business on the South
ern Pacific's electric system, it is a
well-known fact that It has not been
a paying proposition ana mat tne
revenues have been considerably cut
,ty business.
LINCOLN'S AIDE RESIGNS
Justice H. P. Chipman Prosecutor
or Captain In Civil War Days.
S ACR A XfENTO, Cal.. April 8. The
resignation of Norton P. Chipman,
presiding justice of the third district
court, was announced by the office of
Governor William D. Stephens here
today.
'justice Chlpman's resignation closes
a public career of distinction. He was
a young lawyer when the civil war
broke out and before yt he conflict had
ended Jie was judge advocate general
of the army. In that capacity he
prosecuted Captain Henry Wirtz, of
Andersonville prison, who was hanged
for his cruelty to prisoner.,- . j
Justice Chipman became an inti
mate assistant of president Lincoln
and accompanied him to. 'Gettysburg,
on the occasion when the president
made his memorable address.
MILK, DELIVERED, 11 CTS.
Reduction Announced by Five In
dependent Dairies.
Five Independent dairies yesterday
announced reduction of the price of
milk delivered at homes to 11 cents a
quart and It was reported that the
large distributors had met the 11-cent
price established by the Oregon
Dairymen's league" in the grocery
store distribution.
The five dairies which now are dis
posing of their milk at 11 cents a
quart include the Crumpled Horn, the
Home, the Snowcap, the Sunrise and
the Independent dairies. All are sup
plied by the dairymen's league.
The large distributors issued no
formal notice of any reduction, except
that they were selling to groceries at
9 cents, enabling the latter to sell at
11 cents a quart.
PR0M0TI0NJJST READY
Xames of Thirty-Seven Generals to
Be Sent to Harding.
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 8.
Secretary Weeks has completed his
selections for general officer promq,
tions in the army for transmission to
President Harding. Tnere are 12
major-generals and 25 brigadiers on
the list, compared witn the names of
11 major-generals and 22 brigadiers
submitted by President Wilson, and
which the senate failed to confirm.
The name of Brigadier - General
Clarence Edwards, who commanded
the 26th (New. England national
guard) divisiorl, was first on Secre
tary Weeks' list-of major-generals.
BUNNY EVIL CUMULATIVE
Express Agent Worried Over In
crease in Rabbit Crate.
RENO. Nev April 8. "Pigs Is
pigs" and "rabbits is rabbits,- with
little to choose between the two evils,
according to General Manager Elchel
berger of the Reno office, of the
American Railway Express company.
A crate containing four rabbits was
received at the office last ' Saturday
night, consigned to a Reno woman.
The crate has not been called for
and now there are IS rabbits. Elchel
bergeY fears that the office will be
overwhelmed and is wlioay trying
to locate the owner.
MESSAGE ABOUT FINISHED
President Slay Follow Wilson Plan
of Presentation. ,
WASHINGTON. D. C April 8.
President Harding s devoting much
of his time to the preparation of his
first message to congress.
It will be presented Tuesday and
It may be that the executive will ap
pear at a joint session to read it, a
custom revived by President Wilson.
The present understanding Is that
the message will cover many domestic
questions, as well as the administra
tion peace programme. It probably
will not be completed before Monday.
Formation of Marketing
Agency Proceeds.
INCORPORATION SOON LIKELY
Big Concern Expected to Curb
Grain Speculation.
DIRECTORS ARE ELECTED
Indications Are That Other Co-op
eratlve Bodies Will Get Into
Xew Organization.
CHICAGO, April 8. Preliminary or
ganization of the country's wheat
growers into a national co-operative
grain marketing company was com'
pleted tonight.
Directors of the company, to be
known as the United States Grain
Growers; Inc., were elected today,
legal steps preliminary to incorpo
ration under the laws of Delaware
were completed and organizations
which had found fault with certain
features of the plan apparently had
been brought into line.
Aa soon as incorporation papers are
Issued, a national membership drive
will be started to enlist every grain-
grower. It then wl'l be ready to carry
out the plans which its sponsors de
clare will curb grain speculation, ob
tain larger profits for the farmer,
lower the cost of marketing grajn and
tend to eliminate price fluctuations.
Accessions Are Expected.
Possibility that the members of the
Northwest Wheatgrowers, Associated,
would not come into tbe organiza
tion because their plan for compul
sory grain pooling was defeated in
favor of optional pooling,- was less
ened when George C. Jewett of Spo
kane, general manager, of the north
west company, was elected a director
of the new organization. Other asso
ciations which favored compulsory
pooling asked time is which to make
their plana, hut-indications were that
thsy would Join the newcompany.
--Composition of the new corpora
tion's board of directors chosen today
is in part as follows: '
District No. 1. Washington, Oregon.
Utah and California George C. Jew
ett. Spokane, general manager North
west Wheatgrowers, Associated, and
Victor H. Smith, Wasco, Or, secretary-treasurer,
Oregon Gralngrowers'
association.
Allied Interests Noted.
District No. 2. Montana. North Da
kota, Minnesota and Wisconsin J. M.
Anderson. St. Paul, president of the
Equity Co-operative Exchange at St.
Concluded on paga 8. column 1.)
IT'S A WONDER
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Department of Agriculture Report
Shows Commonwealth Beaten
by Idaho and ew York.
WASHINGTON. D. C. April 8
(Special,) Department of agricul
tural figures made public here rank
Oregon third among the . principal
wheat-producing states of the coun
try for the average yield per acre in
1920. Oregon averaged 20.7 bushels
an acre. The Beaver state's produc
tlon was bettered only by Idaho, with
22.5 bushels, and New Tork with
22 bushels. Tbe figures included
the combined production of both win
ter and spring crops.
The Oregon yield exceeded by 9
bushels the combined average yield of
the entire United States, which was
given as 13.8 bushels, and showed
the greatest percentage of increase
over the 1918 average y'eld of all
states in the Union.
In ' 1918 the Oregon yield was
14.7 bushels per acre, over which
the 1920 yield was an increase of 42
per cent. During the same period the
average yield per acre for the entire
country decreased 11.5 per cent, from
15.6 bushels in 1918 to 13.8 in 1920.
The Oregon total production for
the three years jumped from 15,228,
000 bushels in 1918. to 20,800.000 bush
els in 1919. and 22,900,000 in 1920.
The larger yield for 1920 was bar
vested despite a decrease of 8000 acres
in the state's planted area as com
pared with the previous year. Ranked
in order of total annual production. of
wheat by the various states, Oregon
moved from. 16th place in both 1918
and 1919 to 11th place in 1920.
McNAMARA FREE MAY 10
Dynamiter of Ixs Angeles Building
Faces Charges in Indiana.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 8.-rJohn J.
McNamara, who is serving a 15-year
sentence for murder in connection
with the dynamiting of the Los An
geles Times building October 1. 1910,
will complete his sentence and leave
San Quentin penitentiary Thursday,
May 19, prison officials said today.
While other charges pending against
McNamara in Los Angeles will not be
pressed because of their having be
come outlawed,. McNamara still fades
federal charges in Indianapolis in con
nection with the illegal transporta
tion of dynamite, it was stated at the
district attorney's office at Los An
geles. McNamara - has . been, a ' model
prisoner, officials said. ; -
FOREST WEEK MAY 22
President Calls on Governors to
Urge Protection of Woods. '
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 8. The
week of May .22 was designated in a
proclamation by President Harding
today as "forest protection week."
Governors of the various states
were asked to arrange educational
and instructive exercises to place be
fore the people the need of prevent
ing unnecessary waste by forest fire. I
THE FARMERS DIDN'T THINK
Contractors Pledged to Abide by
Decision and Unions Are Ex
pected to Accept Finding.
A 10 per cent wage reduction, be
ginning May 1, 1921, affecting prac
tically all the building trades of Port
land, was recommended by an arbi
tration committee representing the
builders, workers and the " public,
after ten days of deliberation, at a
meeting Of builders and workers at
the central library last night. The
decision of he committee was ac
cepted by the employers, and awaited
only the indorsement of the Building
Trades Council to become effective.
The new scale will mean a reduc
tion of approximately - 5 per cent in
building costs and fnay be met by a
reduction in materials that will lower
present costs from 10 to 15 per cent.
The reduction will affect 19 trade
unions. Practically all labor in con -
struction work except plumbing was
involved. The employers originally
had announced a 12 per cent cut.
Not only have representatives of
the employers assured the committee
that they will abide by their findings,
but labor leaders have expressed the
desire to . see the decision ratified.
B. W. Sleeman, business agent of the
carpenters' union, declared that the
question would be placed before the
Building Trades Council Monday night
with recommendations for its accept
ance. O. R. Hartwlg, representative
of the workers on the arbitration
committee, also said that he hoped
to see tbe findings accepted.
Dr. W7 T. McElveen, representative
of the public and chairman of the
arbitration committeesaid the action
of the board was taken with the
hope of encouraging building. The
decision, was -based upon public de
mands, a decrease preparatory to ac
tive building operations. Dr. McEl
veen said, and the committee felt that
the reduction, especially -if met by a
cut in materials, would decide many
persons who had been hesitating.
If. the new wage scale is ratified
carpenters' wages will drop from $8
to 7.20 a day, common laborers from
6 to 85.40, painters' 88 to $7.20, with
corresponding reduction all down
the line. A list of the trades af
fected and the old and new scale of
wages follow:
Present New
.wage. wage.
$8.00 $7.20
Carpenters
Structural iron workers
Sheet metal workers ...
Common laborers .....
V.UU
8.00
6.00
9.00
8.10
7.20
0.40
8.10
7-20
-S.30
7J!0
7.20
8.10
6.30
7.20
8.10
Plasterers
Lai her. ) 8.00
Hod carriers' . 7.00
Pain ters .- 8.00
Cement finishers ..... 8.0.0
Ornamental Iron workers 9.00
Plasterers' helpers 7.00
Reinforcement placers 8.00
Hoistlnir engineers 0.00
Steam fitter 0.00
Glaziers 7.00
Bricklayers 9.00
Floor layers . . . . 9.00'
Electrical workers 8.o0
8.10
6.30
8.10
8.10
7.20
The decision of the arbitration
board, which began its deliberations
on March 29, was awaited by builders
throughout Oregon and most of Wash
ington. The dispute was referred to
the committee after a conference of
builders and trades Representatives
held at the library on request of the.
civic club committee on wage dis-
(Concluded on Page 2, Column 8.)
OF IT BEFORE
POWER OF PARTY SECURE
Housecleaning First . Step
When Congress Convenes.
GRAVE PROBLEMS FACED
tr i ' -. . -r. .
ucuig.uiMiiuu vi trpniiuicutSf
Budget, Tariff, Taxation and
Other Legislation Planned.
BT MARK SULLIVAN.
(Copyright by the New York Evening Post.
Inc. Published by Arrangement.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 8
(Special.) Monday the republican
party takes complete possession of
the government. It takes possession
with a franchise from substantially
70 per cent of the voters, and with
majorities in the house and senate
rarely equaled by any party at any
time in our history. For two years,
with mathematical certainty, the
party can carry cJt its will; and for
at least four years the only tbing
that possibly could interfere would be
a practically unforseeable reverse in
the congressional elections in 1922, a
reverse which would need to be so
large as to be most improbable.
The republican party takes posses
sion of its power with enormous se
curity. It is .one of those-occasions
when a party. If it has great and
courageous leadership, can afford to
ignore a temporary unpopularity and
do what is sound and far-seeing in
the sure ' confidence that time will
Justify it.
Every Epoek Has Problems.
What, now, does tbe .republican
party plan to do with Its power
Every epoch like the present, in which
one party or the other comes strongly
into power, after a 1 ipse of years, is
marked by legislation of such lm
portance as to constitute a shift in the
direction of our national history. In
1896, it was the revision of the tariff
in favor of the manufacturing and
other propertied classes. In 1912 the
democrats took the direction of revis
ing our banking and currency laws in
the Interests of the borrower and
adopting the federal farm loan law
In the interest of the borrowing
farmer.
This present republican congress Is
going to mark its beginning with
legislation in the direction of what
may. be called better housekeeping by
the national government. One of the
first acts which congress will pass,
and which the party will depend upon
for the approval of the public will
be the budget bill. This bill has been
described as the most important act in
the field of government business and
finance since the civil war, excepting
only the federal reserve banking act
Budget Co-rdlaates Government.
In brief the budget bill brings to
the business of the government the
tame compactness, economy and cen
tralized responsibility that has been
discovered to be essential in private
business. The bill picks out the sec
retary of the treasury and lifts him
out of and above the rest of the cab
inet, and makes him responsible for
all requests for money made to con-
I gress, and for the spending of that
money, other incidents of the bill be
ing a corresponding compactness and
centralized responsibility to the ap
propriation of money by congrefs.
The budget first was passed more
than a year ago. President Wilson,
while heartily Indorsing the spirit of
it, and the great bulk of its details,
vetoed it because of what he con
ceived to be a constitutional objec
tion to one of the details of the bill
After this veto the lower house of
congress made the requested change
and repassed the bill. In the senate,
however, the second passing of the
bill was prevented by a filibuster on
the part of one roan, Senator Reed of
Missouri. Now, however, the bill will
be passed by a republican house and
senate and signed by a republican
president, and will be given to the
country as the first performance of
an administration dedicated to "more
business in government and less gov
ernment in busintss."-
Reorganlsation Bill Proposed.
The second measure to be passed n
this field will -be known as the gov
ernment reorganization bill. This is
meant to be a supplement to the
budsret bill, and has the same object
J of compactness, economy and central
ized responsibility in the govern
ment's business. The bill will cure
that utterly slipshod, archaic, incon
gruous distribution of- bureaus and
beads of the departments, which re
sults, for example. In the publication
of "16 different cookbooks by 16 dif
ferent bureaus"; or, as Mr. Hoove'r
put It, In the commerce department
"having charge of polar bears, while
tbe interior department has control
of grizzly bears and the agricultural
department of brown bears."
These are the two big fundamental
measures that the republican leaders
have in mind.
Aside from these measures congress
will turn promptly to the subject of
turiff and taxation. The programme,
so far as it has crystallized at this
writing, is to pass immediate'ly three
measures which belong :n a group.
hlch are emergency In tnelr concep-1
.tConcluded en Page 4. Column lij.
Storage Volume Exceeds Half Mil
lion Cubic Tards; Artesian
Wells Help Settlers.
On the Ochoco irrigation project of
Prineville yesterday was a banner
day, as it marked the first day that
the water began to pour over the
spillway of the giant Ochoco dam,
where the combined volume of stored
up water totals more than half a
million cubic yards, according to W.
F. Brown, secretary of the Ochoco
Land company. Mr. Brown, who will
leave today for Prineville, to Inspect
the flow of water, spent the after
noon yesterday conferring with Sec
retary Quayle of tbe Oregon state
chamber of commerce in regard to
' Tl.k.. la -n nm wn than "OA
families on the project at present,
according to Mr. Brown. The land ts
being sold in 40- to 80-acre lots, and
carries with It all ' water rights.
Twenty families have taken up land
in the project since November 1 of
last year.
The land was placed under Irriga
tion by the creation of an Irrigation
district under the state laws. In 1917,
and "the entire system. Including the
storage reservoir -nd canals, has
been completed this year. A part of
the .lands has been under litigation
for some time and the most of them
have been cultivated for many years.
A feature of the project Is the -fact
tha'. artesian wells can be struck on
any part of the district, more than
a dozen strong wells already produc
ing water on" the lower levels at a
depth not greater than 265 .feet.
The entire district lies within a
radius of three and one-half miles
from the railroad, said Mr. Brown.
SLAV REDS AFTER FINNS
Districts Where Antonomr Was
Guaranteed Are Invaded.
STOCKHOLM. April 8. (By the
Associated Press.) The tension which
has been noticeable recently between
Russia and Finland Is becoming more
acute.
Bolshevik! have invaded the Repola
and Porajearvi districts, to which the
Russo-Finnish peace treaty had guar
anteed autonomy. The inhabitants of
the districts are fleeing Into the In
terior of Finland.
ACROBAT KILLED BY FALL
Performer Loses Life In Rehears
ing Act for Circus.
CHICAGO, April 8. Ernest Ward, a
member of the "Flying Warda." acro
batic troupe, was killed today when
he fell 40 feet while rehearsing an
-aerial act for a c.rcus. A similarity
in namex led to first reports that
Ernest Ward, the aviation acrobat,
nad been killed in a fall from his
airplane.
SHONTS CONTEST ENDED
Widow Permits Probate of Will
Following Settlement.
NEW YORK. April 8. The contest
over the will of Theodore Sh'onts, New
Tork traction magnate, was. settled
late today.
His widow withdrew her objection
to probate of the Instrument and with
it all her allegations concerning Mrs.
Amanda C. Thomas, to whom the bulk
of the estate was left.
IIM'DEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The' Weather.
TESTER DATS Maximum,
71 degrees
minimum, 40; clear.
TODAT'S Fair; northeasterly winds.
Foreis-n.
Two million British workers to strike
Tuesday. Page 1.
Greeks evacuate Bagdad junction. Page 8,
National.
Nation enters new era with convening of
congress, i'age i.
Oregon wheat crop third best in union.
Page 1.
Notes may open mandate question. Page
z.
Rail Investors ask pay conference. Page 1.
Tariff declared vital revival of business.
Page 3.
Baruch says Germans can pay 1ft billions
indemnity. Page 4.
Administration lays plans for revision of
Infernal revenue taxes. a Page 6.
Domestic.
Preliminary organisation of wheat grow
ers ot country completed, page 1.
Stlllman pays 102.500 to wife. Page 4.
Psrlfle Northwest.
First waters pour over Ochoco Irrigation
dam. Pago 1.
Four counties Join phone rise fight. Fags
5.
Ucense of Guarantee Security Corporation
of Portland revoked. Fags 4.
Sports.
Pacific Coast Leagua results: At San Fran.
Cisco 3, Portland 2; at Salt Lake 9.
Oakland 3; at Los Angeles 4, Seattle 3;
at Sacramento 7. Vernon 5. Page 0.
Montana Has new grip to use on Yokel.
Page 10-.
Ban Johnson bespeaks aid for Comlskey's
White Sox. Page 10.
Anderson defeats Herman. Page 10.
Commercial and Marine.
Holland-American fleet Increased. Page 19.
len thousand tons of wheat sold to Japanese-
buyers. Page 19.
Chicago wheat adversely affected by
British strike developments. Page 19.
Advance In money rates causes heavier
stock market. Page 19.
. Portland and Vicinity.
Oregon-made cheese most popular here
now. Page u.
Twelve red electric ears to.be added to
Corvallis run. Page 1.
Boy husband held by juvenile court. Pag
13.
Highway commission orders paving of
Drain-Divide road. Page 12.
Chest solicitors canvas residences. Page 7.
Mine experts flay U. S. paternalism toward
Alaskan resources. Page 12.
Arbitration board advise cur lu building
mages. Page 1. (
French engineers study railway electrifi
cation. Page 14.
C. M. Gower of Clatskanle arrested as
Genera, Wood her. for hour on w.y to
automobile iireoug. rage o.
Pace .
Owners of Securities Join
Plea byUnions. ,
HARDING IS IN CONFERENCE
Transportation Situation Dis
cussed With President.
RESOLUTION IS DRAFTED-
Chairman Cummins Says Exhaust
ive Investigation Will Be Akcd
of Xext Congress.
WASHINGTON, D. C. April 8. The
National Association of Owners of
Railroad Securities joined today with
five railroad labor unions In propox-
r.g that President Harding call a
conference of representatives of both
owners and employes to discuss the
railroad problem, particularly as it
affects wages and working condi
tions, now in dippute before the rail
road labor board.
a Davies Warfleld, president of the
association, and Darwin P. Kingsley,
president of the New York Life In
surance company, conferred for an
hour with the president on the gen
eral transportation situation and sug
gested the' conference as one ot the
moans -for adjusting the difficulties
tbe reads face.
Lalona Send Telegram.
The request from the unions was In
th form of a telegram from B. M.
Jewell, head of the railway employes'
department of the American Federa
tion of Labor.
Coincident with the conference at
the White House and the receipt of
the telegram. Chairman Cummins of
the senate interstate commerce com
mittee announced he had drafted a
resolution for introduction in con
gress next week authorizing a general
and exhaustive Investigation of rail
road affairs. He plans to begin the
inquiry about April IS.
Means for bringing about a reduc
tion la rates, operating couts and the
question of efficiency under private
ownership will be the principal an
gles to be gone into. Rail managers
will be heard first and labor repre
sentatives will follow.
Memorandum Made Public.
No comment on the conference to
day was made at the White House,
but after the meeting a memorandum
left with the president by the repre
sentatives of the securities owners
was made public by them, saying the
conference "covered a wide field."
After suggesting that "properly
called meetings between the men and
those representing the railroads be
held under the auspices of the exist
ing governmental agencies, the labor
board and the interstate commerce
commission," the memorandum said:
"We are dn record that wage ad
justment is only part of the prob
lem," and expressed the view that
this "should be attained under cir
cumstances carrying assurances to
railway workers that whatever may
be brought about is reasonable and
just."
Geajeral Economies Favored.
"It occurs to us," the statement
continued, "tnat it is not an unrea
sonable position on the part of those
representing the men that deficien
cies In revenue should not be met by
wage reductions alone, unaccom
panied by evidences of the definite
intention to bring about obligator
general economies."
The securities owners, it was added,
felt assured that in cuses in which
an agreement cannot be reached with
an individual railroad management,
the employes would enter into imme
diate discussion of their differences
by regional boards equally divided,
formed by each of the four groups of
railways as now arranged by the
commerce commission for rate-making
purposes.
. Delay In Not Wasted.
Procedure of this character. It was
said, is encouraged by the L'sch-Cum-mins
act and would avoid endless
hearings and clogging of the dockets
ot the labor board.
The telegram to thepresident from
the labor unions proposed that all
wage disputes be held In abeyance
pending the conference and settle
ment of the question of rules.
It Included 12 points which were
described as "labor's self-evident and
inalienable rights," which would have
to be settled at the suggested confer
ence. It further specified that the na
tional agreement should not be dis
counted in any way pending the
outcome of the conference. The 12
points included the eight-hour day.
collective bafgalning and pay for
overtime work.
"
BOARD CONTEST NARROWS
Two May Be Reappointed as Slrons
Indorsements Arc Given.
WASHINGTON. April 8 Out of a
score or more of names under con
sideration for the three places on th
railroad labor , board, which will be
come vacant April 13, President Hard
ing was understood virtually to have
narrowed his choice to a half dozen
men distributed among the thr
groups represented on the board.
W. L. Park of Chicago, one of
those whose terms expire, was uen-
. iCoucluued on Tag X Column 4 I
'
i.
.