Show BROUS AGAIN N 1 I 1 OF OWNERS PRESIDENT SIGNS MEASURE ON EVE OF RETURN OF ROADS TO PRIVATE CONTROL Brother hooda are arc advised that way 1 Is now open for immediate action on wage mattel mattee in accord anco with oi of bill washington president wilson signed tile railroad bill saturday night february 28 on oil tile eve of the ho return of the lie roads loads to their owners mid and to private control in it a proclamation issued tit ill the lie tillie the bill wits signed air weltion vested tn in walker D nines director gel leral of ral fronds virtually till nil powers conferred upon the lie executive by tile lie bill mr air hines all will ala also continue to exercise tho the duties ot of director gen ural eral which continue cont linio beyond tho the return of the roads to private control nt at midnight last sunday tile white cloase also matle made public the lie text ou or of tile presidents reply to a recent request ot representatives of t tho lie railroad rull rall road brothe brotherhoods unit flint lio lie it composed coin equally of it employees plo and employers delegates to it consider wage demands demanda anade by tile ajol it deals a walli alio 0 wo wage go denland settlement Bett lement proposals and does docs not refer directly to the lio demor licaus ettl al later presented pres entea hy by tile lio brotherhood heads asking that lio lie veto the railroad bill in ili his letter air ellson said gald the lie massuco of tile railroad bill nindo it evident that I 1 could not act on your suggestion until it should have been whether tho bill would bf ili conie come it law or not it was manifest 11 tile letter continued that it if the ilia bill should become it law the negotiations luul and consideration of the wage matter ought to pro aeed in harmony therewith herewith the bill 1111 having now become a law the way Is open for action on oil tile ware wage matter in ili accordance with tile tho terms of tile tho bill section of tile he bill evlie evidently itly contemplates that the carr carriers lers and employees should as suggested by you nu select elect a board for the purpose of by conference to agree upon a solli solution tion of tills this wage problem 1 in accordance with the assurance I 1 gave last august and repented repeated in ili substance in my letter of the lath instant I 1 shall tit nt once request the carriers and the employees to join in this hla action I 1 bellevo believe such it stop will go farl larl oward clarifying clarify In g awl and it irav tho the subject for or final disposition in fact the sort port of board thus contemplated by appears appeals to bo be till an ampro irl nto ate substitute dortho for tho committee of experts wh which fell I 1 have herctor ore bug rested and indeed such a board will lie be authorized to go further than midi a committee could leavo lave rone monday morning march 1 tho the government handed over to their owners miles of main line railroad and terminals ter initials ditl equipment valued nt at approximately over which its direct authority lins lias been extended since december 28 1917 the properties will go BO back leaving tile with it deficit ot of for its twenty six months of operation era tion but while tile tho deficit law large federal operation tins lina cost tile public considerably less under the conditions dit ions through and taxes than would havo have heen been tile case under private control director general declared ed tn ili of government matla malia gement |