The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-30
RAIL CHIEFS OPPOSE
ANTI-STR|KE CLAUSE
IN THE CUMMINS BILL

WASHINGTON. Dec. 9-Represcnta-
,iycs nf the four railway brotherhoouS
and heads of affiliated trades aoopteu
tonight a declaration OF prihciIles Op
posing leE!slation 1dnEnrs wh.Sn "DuLu "nnIawfuI.
The declaration. framed at a confer
cncc with President Gompers "t the Am.
erican Federation Of LABOR. oeclaIGu oecias
the sense of organized railway eLlmno!o5
that penalty clauses in pending rallroau
Legislation against workers ceaslnS thclr
empIoymcnt. should be eliminated.
Gompers' Statement
At the conclusion OF hve aour sess-
ion President Gompers dictated 'h's
statement:
'On Friday last a number of the rep
rescntativcs Of the railroad orGanlza-
tions both shopmcn and the trsin sern5
ice met at my Office ana we ulseSSIseu So
the situation regarding the railroad leg
islatlon and issued an invitation 10 the
executives of the ten shopmen organ
izntions affiliated with the AmeFican
Federation of Labor and TO tne Ioul
railroad brothcrhoods. asking them 10
meet in conference with me here To-Day
We began our meeting at three oclock
and adjourned after eight. The cntire
time was taken up with discussion OF
the parliamentary situation OF the ran
road bills. We reached these conclus-
"That 1t is the sense of the confer
encc that the control of the railroads
should be exercised by the gofernment
of the United States for a PERIOD OF not
less than two years, in order that
proper test may be made as 10 govern
mrnt control.
That such test has not been given
fair opportunity during war times or
since.
This conference is opposed to legis-
latiuu making strikes OF workers unlaW-
ful. II is the sense OF tins conference
that penalty clauses in pending legisla-
II 1t.1at f.rk A re e.
ing their employment should be eHmin-
THAT the conference favors the en-
actment of beneficial features Oof the
bills which tend to establish 10 peter
relations between the employees and the
That the beneficial clauses should be
extended To the sleeping car and Pull
man company employees:
willard Sees Gompsfs
Soon after the conference got well
under way President Gompcrs who pre-
sided returned to his Office and con-
fcrrcd for an hour with Daniel wizard,
president Of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad The visit OF Mr.. Willard to
federation headquarters had not been
announced and II provoked some conf
ment as to it's possible meaning. but on
leaving tho railroad president declined
To say what he had discussed with MT.
Gompcrs. The latter also declined to
talk about it.
willard's Attitude
There were reports in congressional
circles today that some railway cxccu-
tlvCs were opposed to the labor section
Of the CumminS bill. and later II was
suggested that this may have been one
Of tn" questions discussed by Mr.. Com
pcrs and Mr.. Willard. Elimination OF
this section. said senators and reprcsen-
tativcs opposing IT. would make il pos
sihlo for the conferences to reach
speedy agreement, hut il has been an
nounced that the whole strike question
had been put back for consideration
after agreement on all other questions.
Tho labor officials were entering upon
their conference as senate and house
confcrcCS on the CumminS and ESCh
railroad bills were concluding their first
meeting at which they set out TO har-
monte tho two measures. Provisions
relating To regulation of railway secur-
Itics were under discussion for the
greater part OF the five hour meeting
but no definite decisions were reached.
II had been announced that representa-
lives Of the six railroad shop trades
would confer during the day with Dir
cctur General Hines hut there was no
meeting and il was explained that the
announcement was erroneous.