Denver labor bulletin., 1918-02-16
By LAURENCE TODD
,Special Representative The Denver Labor
BulIetin.)

WASHlNGlON, rep. ll.-W. VI.
Lee, president of the Brotherhood of
Railway Trainmen, 128,000 of whose
100000 members are employed on
trains within the United States, and
are now working for the government,
has struck the most powerful blow
for public ownership of railroads yet
delivered by any man except President
Wilson.
Lee told the railroad wage commits
sion last week that every practical
railroad man in the country knows
that these gentlemen-at least some
of them-have laid down on the gov
ernment and they do not want the
operation made success by the gov
ernment"
These gentlemen" of course, were
certain railroad managers, presidents,
and so forth. Lee explained that he
believed the influence behind their fail
ure to run the roads decently, since
the Adamson law took effect, could be
traced back to four banks in New
York City. He named the Pennsyl-
vania and the New York Central as
being lines that ought to be running
like clockwork, yet were being bungled
in an absurd way, by rotten railroad
ing" for which a trainman would have
been dismissed from the service in the
old days He gave examples of the
delaying of trains, and the holding of
crews for sixteen hours on a siding,
so that they were TO be paid full time
for simply sitting there.
Playing a Pirate Game.
These strange moves by the private
managemcnts, even since the govern
ment took nominal charge OF the busi-
ness, Lee said, were to be explained by
the fact that the Goethals commission
was investigating how much the en-
forcement of the Adamson eight-hour
law would cost. The roads expected
to get higher rates for freight, based
on this extra cost Of the eight-hour
day for train crews The more over
time charged, the more revenue would
be added TO the railroads, Besides,
since the government was trying its
hand at controlling the operation Of
the roads, everything that would make
government operation look expensive
and impractical would help TO bring
the property back into the hands Of
the companies
Lee said bluntly that he had been
dealing with the railroad managers for
half century and he was suspicious
OF them. He and the men in his or
ganization wanted government opera
tion TO be a success. and they knew
that the companies did not
10 DlsCredlt L. =. tontroi.
1t is said that when the federated
shop crafts have their hearing before
the wage commission they will add
some important testimony TO that
given by Lee They know. for eN-
ample, in what condition the com
panies in various parts of the country
left their engines and cars, as they
saw government operation coming
near And they, like the operative
brotherhoods and the trackmcn and
tclcgrnphers and switchmen and sig
y nalmen, have become convinced that
= the government is going to deal more
fairly with them than the companies
did. They are not anxious to go back
to negotiate with Morgan & Co.
Packing Plant Controversy.
Once more the stockyards and pack
ing plant employees have sent their
representatives here 10 get action to-
ward settlement of their dispute over
wages and hours in the big plants.
Secretary of Labor Wilson has ap-
pointed n new arbitrator-Judge Will
liam Alschulcr, formerly attorney for
the Chicago Street Railway Mems
Union. He is to make his award by
February 2s.
Ed Nockels, secretary of the Chica-
go Federation of Labor, who was here
Win lnt utltEhNlpIl, tNIIfNNtb Niis
opinion that since the men and women
in the plants are now pretty fully
organized. they will either get salts
factory settlement or they will become
very active for public ownership of the
packing industry. Indeed, he pre-
dicted that public ownership Of the
industry would be brought up in the
st. Paul convention of the A. F. of l..
next June by the Chicago delegates.
Attack Seamen's Law.
When the International Seamcns
Union negotiated its Atlantic agree
ment with the shipping board and the
private ship owners last summer. in
advance of any of the other labor
treaties" it cast strong anchor to
windward. A veritable tempest of op-
position to this agreement is now rag
ing in reactionary circles in Washing
ton. For example, this from today's
Washington Post:
"Does an agreement made with one
branch of the government bind the
war making branch of the government
in time of war, when that agreement
is found to be a hindrancc to the gov
ernment in its task of winning the
war? Should such fetters remain
around the nations feet at n time
like this, in face of solemn warnings
from responsible heads of the United
States navy that the chance of getting
an army in France is decreased by the
character of the crews now in service
on many of the vessels of the war
zone fleets, and that it is impossible
to give any assurance under present
conditions?
"That is the question that is COM