Milford chronicle., 1919-11-28
UNCLE TED'S
BED TIME STORIES
Current Events for the Children
and Grown-Ups, Too
WE CUlIMINs RAmROAD BILL

Uncle Ted" said Jack, "a long tint
ago you told us all about the railroad
men and the Plumb plan and how thel
Wanted 10 have the people buy th'
railroads and then run them to sui
themselves. l was down at the round
house again today and Mr.. Jones, one
OF the engineers, says that after the
frst of next year the railroads Wnnl
be run any more by the government
Is that right?'
Yes Jack replied Uncle Ted. Mr.
Jones is right unless the President
changes his mind. and that doesn't
seem very likely"
He also said that the Senate was
going to talk about and vote on bill
called the Cummins bill that tells how
the railroads shall be run after they
20 back to the owners. And he said
that one part of that bill says that the
railroad men won't be allowed to quit
work, and that to pass such a law
would be going against the Constitu-
tion. What does he mean?"
We'll. Jack. he has been trying to
mislead you again. Go call your sister
in here and / will tell you the truth
aUOuA tic ANAuAA a Vi NAAt IAN NaAo anu
the Cummins bill"
When Jack and Ruth were back in
the big front room Uncle Ted began:
ITO understand this story you must
know that for the last two years the
government has been running the rail-
roads. They were taken away from
their owners by the President at mid
night on the last day of the year 1917.
Congress had passed a law on June
80. 1917 giving him that right II
was done because the President
Thought IL was necessary to help win
the war. But ! have already told you
how Mr.. McAdOo. who was already
holding too many jobs, was put at the
head Of the railroads and how he let
the railroad mems clubs get more
money without any trouble. When
the government took over the roads
the owners were told that they would
be given the same amount of money
during the time the government would
run the roads that they would have
made in two years before the war
But instead of making money, although
il costs people % per cent more to
ride on trains and 25 per cent more
10 ship freight under government con-
roll the government has made nearly
$500 10000 less than the owners
should receive. DIRECTOR General
Hines. who took Mr.. McAdoO's place,
saws that the wages of the railroad
nen have been increased 80 per cent
" the government and since he said
hat he has offered them another in
.rease. So YOU see, children, a law
passed by a Democratic Congress and
tarted working by a Democratic
President, has not only cost the gov
rnment 81, 100000, the amount APP
,rOpriated by Congress to run the {
railroad Administration, but has also
meant the loss of about 5000 ,000.0 900,
which must be paid back to the own ,
rs according to the law. This should /
e enough for anybody to see that the
government has no business running |
hings like railroads. telegraph and ]
elephone lines"
But what about the Cummins bill?'
sked Jack. /
well. you see, Jack, Congress S
ouldn't just let the railroads go back [
} the owners the first of next year
-ithout some kind of laws to straigh- I
an out all the little troubles. both for 4
ne government and the owners. The
ummins bill is just one bill which 1
as been written for this purpose by I
enator Albert B. Cummins of Iowa, u
-ho is chairman of the Senate Com c
ittee on Interstate Commerce. The
in has been written and it is now /!
D 10 .he Senate as to whether it Z
lall be passed or not. Your friend. n
.e engineer, Jack is just like a lot
the leaders of the various labor S
ubs in this country who are trying Ii
make people believe thar certain O
.rt of this bill would keep men from f
aving their work The truth is that Y
ere is nothing in the Cummins bill L
at would prevent any railroad man v
ON quitting at any time. The last
ause of that part of the bill which tC
lis about the rights Of the workmen. ii
vs.. that nothing herein shall be h,
ken to deny to any individual the
yht to quit his employment for any Iii
ason. NJ
What does Mr.. Jones mean then" 81
ked Jack ST
Just this He was thinking of that al
rt of the bill that makes it Illegal, fu
at is. against the law, for the rail-
adj men to go on strike. You see, a sr
ike on the railroads is a whole lot ad
ferent from strikes in other lines Of an
siness. If the railroad should all hi
onstrike it would mean that food an
nd not be shipped. people would TO
rye and business of all kind would
We to stop. If it should happen in tn
winter the people throughout the do
intry would be unable to get coal di,
or people who can only but a small ye
,,,i7it at a time wUuiI sufer anu
nv little children would die from en-
cold"
Ughl That would be awful" ex- in
imed Ruth.
Indeed it would. Ruth. So for that a
son Senator Cummins and those
o helped make this bill feel that Ed
re is a lot of difference between
ing a man quit his work If he of
hes, and letting him and others get toy
ether to stop the railroads OF the
ntry from running. No law can be fro
sed to keep a man from quitting ing
Job If he wishes. The Constitution \
vents that. but when both get to- sis
her to destroy the lives of others, n.
r property and happiness land that \
rhat a railroad strike would mean) win
q there is no punishment too Sc enc
e." frie
But the railroad men will have \
ibles to SETTLE" said Jack, "and P.
will they get them settled under frie
new law?" n
IN very much better way than Wi
're," answered his Uncle. The sisi
lmins bill in sections 25. 26 and tow
for a Committee on Wages +
Working Conditions and three bee
,ional Boards Of Adjustment The ple;
mittee is to be made up of four F
from, Tho vroriru,ar and four man -