The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-08-09
Federation Bill Asks Retirement
Of Private Capital and
Part Of Profits.
Bill READY FOR CONGRESS-
Measure Put Forth as Remedy for the
High Cost Of Living, Because
Railroads Are the Key
Industry Of Nation.

washington, Aug. 6.-Organ1zed Ia
Dor came out with the unequivocal,
formal demand that private capital
, be retired from the railroads.
A tripartite control composed Of
the public, the operating management
and the employees Is demanded In
stead.
Addressed to the American public
and signed by the engineers and fire
men. the conductors and the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. formal
statement was issued announcing this
proposal, which will be carried before
congress Wednesday.
1T marks" says the statement, "the
step by which organized labor passes
from demands for wage increases to
demands that the system of profits In
industry be oyerhauled."
This sentence sums up In few
words the proposal, of which there
have been hints and indications, but
which Is now laid before the country
for the first time. Everywhere in Of
fetal Washington it is recognized as
the most serious and \. far-reaching
proposition the country wfflsbe called
on to face.
Urged as Remedy.
Characterizing the proposal as Ia
boris BILL" 1t is put forth as rem
edy for the high cost of living, be-
cause the railroads are the key In
dustry Of the nation. 1t demands the
genuine cooperation and partner
sship, based on real community Of
Interest ana partfci cipatloff IN cUntrols' =
Of which President Wilson spoke to
congress. and which the statement
says has been ignored by labor and
the private owners of the railroads
"We ask" 1t says, "that the rail-
roads of the United States be vested
in the public; that those actually en-
gagged in conducting that industry,
not from Wall street, but from the
railroad offices and yards and out on
the railroad yines, shall take charge
Of this service for the public"
Text of Demands.
Briefly, labor's plan demands:
That private capital be eliminated
from the railroads.
That the private owners receive for
them government bonds with fixed
interest return for every honest dol
lar that they have invested"
\ That the tripartite control, hereto
fore referred to, be established in cor
porations which shall lease the roads
and in which the public. the operating
arrangements and labor shall be rep
resented equally.
That the public, the operators and
the wage earners share equally all
revenue in excess of the guarantee to
private capital, by granting to the
operators and the employees one-half
the savings which are expected to be
made by such a perfected organiza-
tion, and to the public the other half
as consumers, either by increasing
service without adding costs or by re-
ducing costs.
"This role originates with labor"
says the statement. because labor
happens to have firm organizations
through which 1t may become articu-
late"
"innuendoes Must Cease"
The statement follows:
"The innuendoes in telegraphed dis
patches from Washington. appearing
also In the speech Of Representative
Blanton Of Texas, that the railroad
unions are holding up congress and
the government, may as, well cease.
This appeal is made to the American
people direct. It invokes the judg-
ment and common sense of public SEN
timent, Of all the public which earns
wage or stipend. We recognize
that the only way in which we can
exist under the present system is to
demand further increases In wages.
But we agree with Representative
Blanton that this affords but tempor-
airy relief. 1t does not offer a rem
edy.
"Labor's bill, on the other hand,
provides a remedy, and we ask mere
ly that its terms be scrutinized Our
full argument in support Of these
terms will be presented on Wednes-
day before the house committee on
interstate commerce. In this state
ment we are sounding the note of our
basic princinle.