WASHINGTON: President Roosevelt on Monday [Dec 27] night ordered the United States Secretary for War, Mr. Henry Stimson, to take over control of the nation’s railways. Mr. Stimson was ordered to do this immediately. The President’s action followed numerous conferences with Railway managements and workers.

Approximately 150,000 steel workers employed by 214 Steel companies are now idle in a wide-spread strike in the United States, says a Pittsburg message. The War Labour Board is holding an extraordinary session to discuss the situation.

The President stated that it has been agreed by Carriers Brotherhoods of Locomotive Engineers and Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen that the issues involved should be determined by the President “in accordance with the law” and they would abide by his decision.

The President said that he had determined at “five cents an hour effective immediately shall be paid as an equivalent of or in lieu of claims for time and half over 40 hours and for expense while away from home”. The dispute over holiday pay is settled by the decision that the employees are entitled to a week yearly with pay at the basic hour rate.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2018