Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-23
FREIGHT RATES

New York, Nov. Statements is
sued today by officials of the five or
CARNATIONS of railway workers show
that the protest against the Esch-
Townsend bill made by the delegation
Of railway workers at the White House
this week, Is backed up by the solid
action of practically all the local bod
les in Maine, New Hampshire, YER
mont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and Mary
land.
Through local officials 654 divisions
and lodges of the orders have placed
themselves on record as emphatically
opposed to any legislative action that
might curtail the right Of the rail
roads to adjust their rates to CONNER
cial conditions or to control their re-
spective incomes. The sentiment of
these organizations is shown in the
following statement issued by Jere-
miah Harris, chairman of the legisla-
| tive board Of the Brotherhood Of Lo-
connective Engineers for the state of
New York:
i Members Of the Brotherhood Of Lo-
connective Engineers, to man, are op-
posed to any legislation that will cur
tail the powers of their employers in
respect of their earning capacity, or
diminish the freedom Of their control
over their property; therefore the
brotherhood opposes the Esch-Town-
send bill and will oppose any and ev-
cry law to give the control Of railway
rates into the hands Of the govern
ment or anybody other than the rail
road owners and managers. This ques-
4 ton Of railway rate regulation was
4 discussed at the annual convention OF
the brotherhood Of locomotive engi
neers at Los Angeles, Cal, last year
and the stand which we have taken
now was decided upon. The conduct
ors, firemen and trainmen have since
taken the same,eview Of the question
and the resolutions that have been
d adopted by divisions of the Other
three bodies are along precisely the
lines which we decided for our OWL
action The sentiment embodied In
our resolution represents the opinion
of 5000 men of the brotherhood Of
engineers alone, representing every
railroad and every state and commun
ity in the United States"
O. r. C. Makes Statement.
The Order of Railway Conductors
!, through James j. Bowling, genera
) chairman of the order, of the Lehigt
system, issued this statement:
"The order of railway conductors as
an organization opposes the passage o.
the Esch- Townsend bill by congress
because the measure as 1t stands
!. threatens to destroy everything tina
the organization has fought for or &C
complished Organized railroad labol
, has established a uniform rate O
wages throughout the country, a sys
tenn of arbitration which Is satisfactor,
to employers and employees alike ant
general system of conditions which
render strikes extremely improbable
and the last means to be considered O.
r resorted to in case of disagreements
The Esch-T Townsend bill as we view 1t
is aimed directly at all of these inst
tutions and should the bill be passet
disaster could not be averted."
> The general committee Of the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Engineers Of tn
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
9 system, through Its chairman, ]. E
T Clark, takes the following ground:
! Having followed the arguments boil
: for and against rate regulation pre-
t sented by the many witnesses VIII