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FDR Orders Government To Seize The Railroads (Continued from Page One) agreed to abide by his decision— the brotherhoods of locomotive en gjneers and trainmen. Five cents an hour shall be paid starting im mediately, he said, ‘as the equiva lent of or in lieu of claims for time and a half pay over 40 hours (per week) and for expenses while away from home.” He also award ed these workers a week’s vaca tion a year with pay at the basic rates. In addition he affirmed the four cents an hour increase in basic wages previously awarded by an emergency board. Stimson Is Sifent Secretary of War Stimson made no immediate disclosure of his plans for operating the . roads, which were under government su pervision from 1917 until Congress restored them to civilian manage ment in 1920. The Association of American Railroads declined immediate comment. Congressmen who could be reach ed for comment on seizure of the railroads showed regret that the President was forced to move. Senator White (R.-Me.) ranking minority member of the Interstate Commerce Committee, said ‘in the circumstances it seems a neces sary thing to do We can’t per mit the transportation system of the country to go idle on us at this time.” i nomas is 'sorry Senator Thomas (D.-Utah), rank ing Democrat on the Military Af fairs Committee, said ‘I’m very sorry that it has to be done.” Rep. (Ramspeck (D.-Ga.i, rank-; ing majority member of the House Labor Committee, said, ‘I’m sorry it is necessary, but it seems the only thing to do under the cir cumstances. The railroads cannot stop. I think the labor organiza tions made a mistake in forcing the issue. I be.ieve they have a just claim for wage increases, but all groups in war time should sub ordinate themselves to the general welfare.” By acting afler 17 unions had accepted his aroitration offer, the President isolated three relatively small operating unions who had spurned his proposal. Long-range Impact The long-range impact of that may affect the organizational set up of railway labor, acting as a reward to those two brotherhoods —trainmen and ergineers—who ac cepted his proposal, and a blow to the prestige of the other three —conductors, firemen, and switch men. Unless these latter three can emerge from tne dispute with something more than Roosevelt j awarded the trainmen and engi- ; lifters — and their chances seem none too bright — their prestige among railway labor might suffer, possibly even to the point of los ing members to the other two un ions. Membership in the five operat ing brotherhoods is not confined strictly to class or craft lines. The brotherhood of railroad trainmen, are reputed to have more switch men than the switchmen’s union. Too, there are many instances of overlapping membership because railway employes, working on a seniority basis, change jobs a great deal. The President said the pay in crease he granted the two operat ing unions would be paid until the war ends. Roosevelt said he had been ad vised by War Mobilization Director Vinson that his decisions conform ed with the national staomzation program. Roosevelt, in a formal statement on his determinations, recalled that he had announced last May he believed rail employes should ! te paid time and a half for over ! time above 40 hours, just as are j most other employes. He said he ■ thought, however, it should be done by agreement rather than congres sional action. The President said government ; seizure of the carriers was neces sary ‘for the movement of troops, materials of war, necessary pas senger traffic, and supplies ar.d food for the armed forces and the civilian population, and is other wise essential 10 t h e successful j prosecution of the war.” As President and commander in chief of the armed forces he said in the order that Secretary Stim son assumed possession and con trol of all common carriers by railroad, express companies, ter minal companies and associations, sleeping, parlor and railroad-own ed or controlled private car com panies located in continental Unit ed States. Excluded specifically from the designation of common carriers were interurban railways and local public transit systems, even though any of them' might be owned by the lines which gov ernment seized. ij. ouxuauii unas it neces sary, the chief executive decreed, he may take over ‘all or any part of any transportation system, including subways and tunnels.” The objective under government operation, the President asserted, is ‘to assure to the fullest pos sible extent continuous and unin terrupted transportation service.” Even though the government is in possession of the carriers, the chief executive said Stimson should iet management continue manage rial functions to “the maximum degree possible consistent with the purposes of this order.” The present officers and em ployes of the carriers were direct ed to continue operating the lines and collection and disbursement of funds is to continue in the usual and ordinary course of the busi ness of the railways. Roosevelt said that any existing contracts and agieements to which the carriers are parties shall re main in full force Dividends may 4»e declared and expenditures made for ordinary corporate purposes. As for radway labor, the Presi dent odered that the secretay of war “shall provide protection for ail persons employed or seeking employment.” Stimson is authorized to pre scribe the compensation the em ployes will get, subject to any ap proval which may be required by applicable laws orders and regu lations pertaining to the economic stabilization program. The secretary was instructed to recognize the right of workers to continue union membership, to bar gain collectively and to engage in concerted activities for collective bargaining or “lor other mutual a;d or protection.” Termination of the government possession of the carriers will take place as soon as Stimson deter mines that it is ‘no longer re quired to prevent interruption of transportation service.” Utilities Commission Orders Phone Company To Drop Extra Charge RALEIGH. Dec. 27 — (AP) — The Concord Telephone Company of Concord and the Norfolk and Caro lina Telephone and Telegraph Com pany of Elizabeth City have been ordered by the Utilities Commis sion to remove the extra :Tiand set charge” levied on the hand set type of telephone. The order, which becomes effec tive January 1, was announced to day by Edgar Womble, utilities commission rate expert. Womble said the order marks the elimination of the handset charge in all major telephone com panies of the state. This elimina tion he said, has progressed gradu ally over a period of approximate ly 10 years. AMERICANS PUSH DRIVE IN PACIFIC (Continued from Page One) ers made the attacks and 36 ene j my bombers and 25 fighters were shot down. Seven Allied planes were lost and others damaged. (William J. Dunn. CBS corre spondent who witnessed the land ings, said the first of the air at tacks did not come until seven hours after the Marines had swept ashore.) This additional occupation of ; hew jma.j, ine seeonu w-thin a ; fortnight, strengthens our hold on j the western end of the island, Mac ; Arthur said, and "presages grow | ing command of Bismarck Sea ap proaches.” It also increases the ! Allied air threat to Kabaul’s sup ply lines “and shortly will bring the enemy-held Kavieng-Admiralty islands area within decisive reach of our land-based air attacks.” Rabaul, cnce symbol of Japa ncsc puwci in me oc'uui x-aunic but virtually neutralized by heavy air attacks since October, is situ ated at the northeastern tip of New Britain. Kavieng is at the northern end of New Ireland, where a Japanese destroyer and two large freighters were sunk and other ships damaged ir a surprise air attack early Christmas Day. The Admiralty islands are in the Bismarck Sea about 200 miles northwest of Cape Gloucester. The Cape Gloucester landings were made by marines command ed by Mai Gen. William H. Ituper tus of Washington, E. C. When the heavy naval an^* air bombard ment lifted, they stormed ashore under cover of a smoke screen laid down fiom the air. Within two hours the beachheads were firmly in our hands. One landing was made just north of Silimati Point on Borgen Bay, east of Cape Goucester. The other was on the Dampier strait, or western side, of the peninsula. This landing prevents the enemy from escaping down the southern coast lin. Occupation of Long Island, to the northwest, places a wedge in the enemy’s line of communica tions to New Guinea coastal points such as Madang and Wewak. Control of the southwestern end of New Britain was set up when American forces invaded the Ara we sector Dec. 15. The main effort of Sunday’s op eration was pomteu at Target Hill, a 450-foot hump that had been the heart of the enemy defenses in the Gloucester area. It had been pounded so heavily from the air and sea. however, that its guns re plied only feebly to the new chal lornto f1 Vofa? Ti/Tnniol Accnri. ated Press war correspondent, who went in with the second wave, re ported he neither saw nor heard of a single landing boat being lost. Nor did he near of a single Marine even being hurt. Hot steel from the air and from warships commanded by Vice Ad miral Thomas C. Kincaid was pounding the invasion coast when Dean Schedler, AP war correspond ent, flew over the area aboard a Liberator command plane. Some 1000-pound bombs from the Liber ators plunked directly on Target Hill and its artillery positions. By the landings at Arawe and Cape Gloucester, Allied forces have severed the supply lines that fed Japanese positions in western and southern New Britain and along the northeast coast of New Guinea. MacArfhur’s regular Monday communique, covering action over the Christmas week-end, reported the surprise attack on Japanese shipping at Kavieng ar.d also strong attacks on Rabaul. The Kavieng 1 assault was by carrier - based planes. The attacks on Rabaul came i from the heavy units based in the Solomons. They cost the enemy ) 71 planes and probably 19 more. 1 Patrols pushing eastward from 1 the American positions at Arawe ; were reported to have made con- 1 tact with the enemy. On the Huon 1 peninsula of New Guinea, Austra- t lian forces captured Wandokai, c with quantities of munitions, and1 t advanced toward Ago. 2 ir U.S STEEL OUTPUT i IS AT LOW LEVEL: __ ^ (Continued from Page One) j holding up a *‘back-to-work’’ or- 1 der pending formal action by the ' WLB in putting Roosevelt’s sug- { gestions into an order, which ap- 1 parently steel operators would 1 have to accept or face seizure of 1 their plants by the government as ‘ the mine operators did. 1 Chairman William H. Davis of 1 the WLB called the board into ex- ! traordinary session at 7 p.m., say- ‘ ing he considered it “highly ra- 1 tional” that it would vote to ex tend the union contracts with the proviso stated by the President. The operators, generally, re mained silent on the matter, after ! several of them had said before the President made his move, that , they could not pay retroactive s wages due to inability to raise ! prices. The National Supply Com- , pany in Pittsburgh issued a state- J ment charging the walkout was in 1 violation of the Smith-Connally , Act. ; Union leaders stressed the fact , that the work stoppages did not ; constitute a strike, which is spe cifically prohibited under the , Smith-Conally Anti-Strike Law un- 1 less unions give a 30-day notice j before quitting. i But district executives of the union made no secret of the fact i that, as Thomas White union local i .1331 president at Youngstown, - explained “we are not working be- 1 cause we are supporting Phil Mur-Ji New Carriers Now Attacking Marshalls p»:i 'S« — .....——— mm Heading for action on a southwest Pacific combat mission, two of the Navy’s most modern, hard-hit ting aircraft carriers are pictured framed by the dual-purpose guns of another big U. S. warship, they are of the 25,000-ton Essex class, which have spearheaded task force attacks on Jap. island out ftosts from Wake to Rabaul and are now engaged in the assaults on the Marshall Islands and Nauruii (US Navy photo.). 1 ext Of President’s Order WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.—(TP)—Following is the White House a> nouncement of the presidential order for seizure of the railroads, the President’s statement on arbitration of the rail disputes; and the text of the executive order for seizure and operation of the roads: The President today signed an executive order directing the Sec retary of War to take over the railroads at seven o’clock tonight to avoid interruption of transporta-* tion by threated strikes. Mr. R. F. Whitney, on behalf oi the Brotherhood of Railroad Train men, and Mr. Alvanley Johnston, on behalf of the Brotherhood of Lo comotive Engineers, on December 24 rescinded their strike orders and agreed to the arbitration oi their pending disputes by the Pres ident of the United States. At five o’clock p. m. the representatives of the non-operating employee’s organizations informed the Presi dent that they had rescinded their strike orders. The carriers and the non-operating employees do no1 however agree upon the scope oi the issues to be arbitrated by the President. Strike orders of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire men and Enginemen, the Order oi Railway Conductors of America and the Switchmen's Union oi North America are still in force. In signing the executive order taking over the railroads,, the pres ident said: “Railroad strikes by. three bro therhoods have been ordered for next Thursday. I cannot wait until the last moment to take action to see that the supplies to our fight ing men are not interrupted. I am accordingly obliged to take over at Dnce temporary possession and zontrol of the railroads to ensure their continued operation. Tire government will expect every rail road man to continue at his post af duty. The major military of fensives now planned must not be lelayed by the interruption of vi :al transportation facilities. If any employees of the railroads now strike, they will be striking against the government of the Jnited States.” Before signing the executive or ler taking over the railroads, the Resident rendered his decision as arbitrator of the disputes affect lag the Brotherhood of Locomotive ’rainmen and the Brotherhood of .locomotive Engineers. He affirm ed the increase of 4 cents per tour which had previously been [ranted by the Stacy emergency ioard and had been approved by he economic stabilization direc or. In addition, in considering laims not previously presented to he board or the economic stabili ation director, he granted a fur her increase of 5 per cents per our effective immediately, in lieu f claims for time and a half for vertime in excess of 40 hours a reek and for expenses while away rom home. He also approved a acation of one week a year with 'ay at the basic hourly rate of mployment. Such a vacation is ow received by the non-operating '-vo, xuv; (Ji toiut-iu uuctl d that his award be effective for he duration of the war without irejudice to the rights of either >arty thereafter to request a hange in the agreement. The 'resident further stated that he ad been advised by the economic tabilization director that his de ision was in conformity with the lational stablization program. STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT After a conference with repre entatives of the carriers and the irotherhoods, and after hearing rom the parties to the controver ies the statement of the issues up in which they have been unable o reach a decision, it was agreed ly the carriers and the Brother lood of Locomotive Engineers and he Brotherhood of Railroad Train nen that the issues should be de" ermined by me in accordance' vith the law and that they Wo7,]! ibide by my decision. md 1. By action of the Stacy em„ ,ency board, there was awarrteH o the employees an incr<^Id 1 our cents per hour, which of nan ^the* country^ ^riotic -he’s gone down the line Murray y in an effortto 2 Cdmplete toppage.” t0 avoid work director and is now being paid the employees. 2. The employees ask for an ad ditional increase in wages based upon claims not presented to or considered by the Stacy board or the stabilization director. 3. They ask for the payment of time and a half for time worked in excess of forty hours per week. The Fair Labor Standards Act con tains a provision excluding em ployees of railroads from the pro visions of the act. Last May I announced that I be lieved railroad employees should be paid time and a half for time worked in excess of 40 hours pt week as practically all other em ployees are paid. This can be ac complished either by Congress re pealing the exemption provision or by agreement of the employers and employees. I think it should be done by agreement. It has also been represented that as to a large proportion pf the operating employes the exigen cies of the railroad service and questions in respect of existing rules and practices create prac tical and administrative difficul-i ties in the application of a strict overtime requirement. It was also represented that payment of time and half to some and not regu larly to all would create discrimi nations. it also has been represented that by reason of the character of their work, these employes necessarily incur heavier expenses when away from home. After consideration of these rep resentations, I determine that five cents per hour effective imme diately shall be paid as the equiv alent of or in lieu of claims for time and half pay for time over 40 hours for expenses while away from home. 4. Among the issues presented to me was the claim for vacation pay. I determine that employes shall be entitled to a vacation of ones week a year with pay at the basic hourly rate of employment. 5. I further determine that the increases in pay above recited shall be paid until proclamation by the President or declaration by the Congress of the cessation of hostilities; and that the agree ment now arrived at in time of war shall be without prejudice to rights of either party at the ex piration of the date above stated to seek a change in the agree ment which is now made. I am advised by the economic stabilization director that the foregoing determinations are in conformity with the national sta bilization program. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT EXECUTIVE ORDER Possession and Operation of * Railroads Whereas the continuous opera- 1 tion of transportation service in * the nation is necessary for the : movement of troops, materials of c. war, necessary passenger traffic, and supplies and food for the ? armed forces and civilian popula- _ tion. and is otherwise essential to the successful prosecution of the war; and Whereas the continuous opera tion of some transportations sys tems is threatened by strikes called to commence on December 30, 1943; Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 1 states, including the act of Au gust 29, 1916, 39 Stat. 645. and • as President of the United States and commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I hereby order: < h Possession and control of all common carriers by railroad, ex nanii C0mpames’ ten™al Com pames and associations sleeping SSS and railroad-owned or com /ar COmPanies (all fferref to as car United in the continental Wd all ^ S’tt0Sether with any d a11 aPPurtenances and facili- I ties used in connection therewith, are hereby taken and assumed, through the secretary of war, as of 7 o’clock p. m.. on the twenty-! sj^/enth day of December, 1943; Carriers taken over under this order shall not include, because not now deerrjed necessary, street electric passenger railways, in cluding railways commonly called interurbans, or local public tran sit systems whether or not the same be owned or controlled by any of the systems of transporta tion taken hereunder; but if and when the secretary finds it neces sary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this order he may, by subsequent order, take and as sume possession, control and op eration of all or any part of any transportation system, including subways and tunnels, and any transportation system so taken shall be deemed a carrier for the purposes of this order. 2. The secretary of war is di rected to manage and operate or Jrrange for the management and peration of the carriers taken under this order in such mannei as he deems necessary to assure to the fullest possible extent con tinuous and uninterrupted trans portation service. o. m carrying out mis Order the secretary may act through or with the aid of such public or private instrumentalities or per sons as he may designate, and fnay delegate such of his authority as he may deem necessary or desirable, with power of succes sive re-delegation. The secretary may issue such general and spe cial orders, rules and regulations as may be necessary or appro priate for carrying out the pur pose of this order. All federal agencies shall comply with the directives of the secretary here under and shall cooperate to the fullest extent of their authority with the secretary in carrying out the purposes of this order. 4. The secretary shall permit the management of carriers taken un der this order to continue their respective managerial functions .0 the maximum degree possible insistent with the purposes of this Jrder. Except so far as the secre tary shall trom time to time other wise provide by appropriate order >r regulations, the beards of di rectors, trustees, receivers, offi :ers, and employees of such car riers shall continue the operation if the carriers, including the col ection and disbursement of funds hereof, in the usual and ordinary :ourse of the business of the car riers, in the names of their re ipective companies and by means >: any agencies, associations or ilher instrumentalities now utiliz 'd by the carriers. 5. Except so far as the secretary hall from time to time otherwise letermine and provide by appro irivate orders or regulations, exist ng contracts and agreements to nhich carriers taken here under re parties snail remain in full orce and effect. Nothing in this vder shall have the effect of sus pending or releasing any obliga ion owed to any carrier affected ereby, and all payments shall be nade by the persons obligated to he carrier to which they are or nay become due. Except as the ecretary may otherwise direct, ividends on stock and sinking und, principal, interest and other listributions upon bonds, deben ures and other obligations may be paid in due course, and ex penditures for other ordinary cor porate purposes may be made. 6. The secretary snail provide protection for all persons employ ed or seeking employment. The secretary is authorized to pre scribe the compensation to be re ceived by such employees subject to any approval which may be re quired by applicable statutes, ex ecutives orders and regulations re lating to economic stabilization. To the extent deemed practical by him, he may maintain the working conditions which are spe cified in existing contracts be tween the earners and their em ployees. He shall recognize the right of the workers to continue their membership in labor organiza tions, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing with the represen tatives of the owners of the car riers, subject to the provisions of applicable statutes and executive orders, as to matters pertaining to wages to be paid or conditions to prevail after termination of pos session, control and operation un der this order; and to engage in concerted activities for the pur pose of such collective bargaining or for other mutual aid or pro tection, provided that in his opin ion such concerted activities do not interfere with the operation of the carriers. 7. Except as ths order other wise provides and except as the secretary otherwise directs, the operations of carrier s hereunder shal be in conformity with th^f Interstate Commerce Act, as amended, the Railway Labor Act, the Safety Appliance acts, the Em ployers’ Liability acts, and other applicable federal and state la,v executive orders, local ordinance' and rules and regulations issu pursuant to sucn laws, executi ^ orders and ordinances. 1Ve 8. Except with the prior ten consent of the secre-arv receivership, reorea-„r=-'- y‘ n° similar proceeding affect °r earner taken he/eur.der hfll S" instituted and no auachmen mesne process, sankhm^? b7 cation or otherwise shihh^i exe' on or against any oF L r Sf™1 nothing quite approval by the seem any action authonzed or ri °f by any intelocutory or flS,Ulr,eti cree of any United States rndf' m reorganization proceed !" pending nnriP1. tho , , “Es how or in any Sty rece,vSrCyact now pending. CPlversh'P cases 9. From and after 7 r,vi ■ on the said twentv^eventh a P'n’" December, 1943 an nrnn‘th da.v of “ uMy »>« £!Se,siri 1 ■*,«e or parts thereof, taken undeJ thf’ order shall be terminated bv secretary as soon as he “Ip'he iro?e,S Hhat SUCJ1 possession con" liol and operation are no i™ required to prevent interrupt®0'? transpotatuion sevice P 1 FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVFT t The White House. LL? December 27, 1943, 6P m Ew, --V— * ,A* Sea water evaporates more slow ly than fresh water. ' MILL & CONTRACTORS SUPPLY CO. Deming Pumps Mill Supplies — Machinery Contrat tors Etiuioment 121-3 Water St. Phone 7757 MONEY TO LOAN ON ANYTHING OP VALtJ* No Loan Too Larfe—None Too 8mall Cape Fear Loan Office LUGGAGE HEADQUARTERS 12 S. Front 8t. Din) 2-MU Why Suffer With PSORIASIS Over 30 Days? Tonic and Salve $5.00 for Both We Pay Postage Sold on Money-Back Guarantee Big Chief Medicine Co. 102 1-2 N. Tryon St. _Charlotte, N. C. | ®- Q“rr’ (Jeweler 264 *ortb | ►*« JEWELRT and GIFTS OF DISTINCTION lE*?nTo8t£?£i. BUT WAR BONDS AND STAMPS ^ $ demand lif For QUICK ^jh ii \ i ^ n NOTICE All persons having left tailoring with G. J. Si i mon of 114 Princess street are asked to call for it within ten days from this date. This shop is going out of business due to the death of Mr. Simon. | FOR GOLDS’ NASAL MISERIES —gone right straight to the sneezy, smffly misery zone in your nose. Just 2 drops Penetro Nose Drops in each nostril let you breathe freer almost in stantly. Prescription type medication with real ephednne soothes, cools, and shrinks as it acts. Gives head cold the lir. Caution: Use only as directed. Get PENEJRD ShdospI 1 a* THE CAROLINA IS AN ARMY OF SAVERS AND BORROWERS practically all of whom are buying War Bonds as fast as they can. Purchase your home through the Carolina for contentment — Buy War Bonds for Victory. Three The / Million Dollar Carolina Building and Loan Aa'a "Member Federal Rome n,oan Bank” C. M. Bntler, W. A. Fonrlelle, W, D. Joan Prea. Sec.-Tren. Aast. Sec.-Trea», Borer Moore, ▼.-Pres. J. C. Carr, Atty. INSULATE YOUR HOUSE AGAINST WINTER WITH REYNO-CELL I"'," HANOVER IRON WORKS I—Phone c o \ i it i: t i: | DELIVERED TO YOUR JOB. MIXED IN TRANSIT READY WHEN YOU ARE DIAL 5562 S & G COMPANY I --— 1 NOTICE-! The New Hanover County Civil Service Commission will hold an examination in the Grand Jury room, in the Court House, at 3:00 o’clock P. M., Thursday, De cember 30th, 1943, for position of typist-clerk in the City-County Tax Collector’s Office, Back Tax Depart ment. Applications must be submitted in the hand writing of the applicant, no special form required. All applicants are required to appear before the Commis sion for questioning on the above date. NEW HANOVER COUNTY CIVIL „ SERVICE COMMISSION | By Thos. K. Woody, Clerk. A Delightful Way T6 Spend An Evening! Small Cover Charge No stags except with couple or party. DANCE! DINE! We feature OYSTERS (Roast or hall AT THE „ A A Chicken Dinners A ROC ADERO Located on the Masonboro Loop Rood, one mile lronl 11 new Wrightsville Beach Highway. Open 6 A. M. to 2 P. M. I