Show I RAILROADS AGAIN IN HANDS OF PRESIDENT SIGNS MEASURE ON ONEVE ONEVE ONEVE EVE OF RETURN OF ROADS TO PRIVATE CONTROL Brotherhoods are Advised f That Way is Now Open for Immediate ate Action on Wage Matter In Accordance Accordance Accord Accord- ance With Terms of Bill I Washington President Wilson signed the railroad bill Saturday night February 28 on the eve of the return I of the roads to their owners and to private control In a proclamation issued at the time the bill was signed Igne Mr WIl Wilson on vested In lu Walker Valker D D. Bines director general of ot railroads virtually all powers powers v. PO pow pow- ers conferred upon the executive by bythe the he bill Mr Ir HInes will also continue to exercise the duties of ot director genral general general gen gen- eral ral which continue beyond the return of the roads to private control at midnight midnight midnight mid mid- night l last Jt Sunday The White Hou House e al nl alto o made public the text of the time presidents president's reply to a a recent request of representatives of the railroad brotherhoods that he appoint a commission composed equally of employees em em- and employers' employers delegates to consider wage demands made by the brotherhoods It deals dals wholly with the wage demand settlement proposals and does docs not refer directly to the memorial memorial ial lal later presented by the brotherhood heads heads' asking that he veto the railroad bill In his letter Mr Ir Wilson said the passage of the railroad bill made it evident that I could not act on your suggestion until it should have been determined whether the bill would become become be be- come a law or not DOt JIt It It was Wall manifest t the letter continued continued con con- that if the bill should become a law the negotiations and consideration tion of the wage wage matter ought to proceed proceed pro pro- In harmony therewith The l he bill having now become a law the Ule way Is open for Immediate action on the wage matter In accordance with the terms of the bill Section of ot the bill evidently contemplates that the carriers and employees should as ns suggested by you select a bipartisan board for the purpose of by conference to agree upon a solution of this wage problem I In accordance with the I gave last t August and ana repeated in substance In La my letter o of the Instant instant In in- stant I shall at once request the car car- and the employees to join In this action I believe such a step will vill go far toward clarifying arid add maturing the subject for final disposition In fact the sort of or board thus contemplated by section appears to be an nn appropriate ate substitute for the committee of experts experts ex ex- ex which I have heretofore suggested suggested sug sug- and Indeed such a n board wIllbe will willbe willbe be authorized to go further than such sucha a committee could have gone Monday morning March 1 I the government gov gov- handed over oyer to o their owners miles of ot main line railroad and terminals and aDd equipment valued at nt approximately over oyer which its direct authority has been extended extended ex ex- ex tended since December 28 1917 The properties will go back leaving the government with a deficit of for its twenty-six twenty months of operation op op- op But while the deficit appears large federal operation has hus cost the public considerably less leas under the conditions conditions con con- through ugh rates and taxes than would have hae been the case under private private vate yate control Director General lilacs Hines declared In a statement of government management |