The Connecticut labor press., 1919-12-27
PASSAGE OF ANTI STRIKE CLAUSE
 MEANS A FIGHT
Labor Will Oppose Return of Roads to Owners Under
 Those Conditions.
AFFECTS ALL LABOR
Means Deprivation of Right to Collectively Resent Injustice
 by Quitting Work.

Washington, Dec. 26.-The announce ment that the railroads would be re- turned to their owners March 1 has aroused increased anxiety on the part of organized labor concerning the anti strike provisions of the Cummins bill
 Retention of them means a vigorous opposition from labor for they are con- sidered a deadly blow at the liberty of every individual e+nploye and a serious menace to the light of organizatic ns to protect their members. This applies not only to railroads but to every industry as well for if the railroad workers are forbidden to resent injustice collectively by refusing to work the same principle will be speedily applied to all other workers.
 If these provisions which are highly objectionable to labor, are omitted from the completed legislation, it is believed that all will go well, but if they are made a part of the law a strong effort will be made to create a great public demand for rOre extended period of government control.
 A compromise on the anti-strike pro- visions, 1t became known tonight IS 5e- ing worked out. The plan, which is being favorably considered by both the Senate and House conference commit tees, would place the final decision in disputes between railroad companies and their employees in i board in which neither the employees nor the comDaries would be represented. Failure to carry out the decisions of the proposed disin- terested board, under the plan, would be the ''blacklisting for a period of four months of striking employees or executives who caused a lockout
 The Senate and House are widely split on the labor provisions of the Cunmins and Esch bills, and some of the members of both conference com mittees have suggested the Lenroot pro- pOsal as compromise.
 The Senate Conferees admit after the first two days of conference that the drastic anti-strike provisions of the Cummins bill making strikes unlawful and punishable with heavy fines and long imprisonment are done for. Sen ate conferees said today that they can not have the anti-strike clauses of the Senate bill retained, and they favor the Lenroot proposal as compromise,
 The Esch bill, which passed the House, provides for complicated sys- them of voluntary COnC11iation of dis putes The Senate conferees are as strongly opposed to the system proposed in the House measure as the House conferees are to the drastic provisions of the Curnmins bill The House con- ferees have expressed a willingness i'll conference to meet the Senate half way and accept the Lenroot plan.
 The Lenroot proposal i'll general way looks to the establishment of an impartial board of ultimate appeal to companies and the employees.
 Capo+O- I bnc 6icc,1cca6 the plan thoroughly with Senator Cumnins, and the latter is said to favor the pro- posal.
 Heads of the four great railroad brotherhoods and of the organizations of railroad workers affiliated with the American Federation of Labor are ex- pected in Washington early next week for Q conference with Samuel Gompers president of the Federation, and other prominent labor officials. Labor's posi- tion will be fixed then, if 1t is possible for the chiefs to determine upon it so far ahead of the day when the roads go back under the Presidents proclama- ton, but at any rate a clear idea of how the return is regarded will be obtained. No definite statement of 1abOr's posi- ton toward the March 1 return is eX- DeCted from officials here until after the conference.
 Labor has made a vigorous fight to have the roads kept in government hands for two years more, but it has been no more vigorous than that waged by the railroad administration under w. c. McAdoo, the first director gen. erl, and under Walker D. Hines, the present incumbent. Mir. Hines months ago saw he could not expect to prevent Congress from putting through legisla- ton which would compel turning back of the roads at an early date and ln the fast few weeks is understood to have agreed with Senator Cummins, chairman of the Senate Interstate Com merce Committed and Representative Esch, chairman of the House commit tee, that March 1 would be proper date for giving them up.
 Samuel Gompers sent out calls toCay for a conference of the chiefs of 'he Big 1" railroad organizations to open in Washington, Monday.