The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-08-05
labor OUT FOR
FEDERAL CONTROL
No Private Capital in Rail-
roads, They Demand.
URGE TRlPLICATE OPERATION
The Profits to Go to Men, Operators
and to Public in Reduced Rates.
Plan to Go Before Congress.

Plan to Go Before Congress.
Washington, Aug. 5.-Organized labor
came out with the unequivocal, for
NAL demand that private capital be
retired from the railroads.
\ 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. the fire.
can Federation of Labor, formal
statement was issued announcing this
proposal, which will be carried before
congress.
1T marks" says the statement,
''the step by which organized labor
passes from demands for wage in
creases to demands that the system
OF profits in industry be overhauled."
This sentence sums up in few
words the proposal, of which there.
have been indications, but which is
now laid before the country for the
first time. Everywhere in official
Washington it is recognized as the
most serious and far-reaching propo-
sition the country will be called on
to face.
CharacteriZing the proposal as Ia
boris BILL" it is put forth as remedy
for the high cost of living, because
the railroads are the key industry OF
the nation.
1t demands the genuine co-opera-
ton and partnership based on a real
community of interest and participa-
ton in control of which President
Wilson spoke to congress, and which
the statement says has been ignored
by labor and the private owners OF
the railroads.
1--WE ask" it says, shat 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 rail-
road offices and yards and out on the
railroad lines, shall take charge OF
this service for the public"
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
dollar that they have invested"
That the tri-partite, control, here
tofore referred to, be established in
corporations, which. shall lease the
roads and in which the public, the OPP
Grating Arrangements and labor, shall
be represented equally. -
That tie public, the operators and
che 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 perfected organiZa-
ton, and TO the public the other half
as consumers, either by increasing
service without adding to costs, or by
reducing costs.
"This role originates with labor"
says the statement, because labor
happens to have firm organizations
through which it may become, ,articu-
late''
After conference with the presi-
dent, B NJ. Jewell, acting president
of the railway employees department
of the American Federation of Labor,
who headed a delegation of union
leaders said the plan to have con-
gress settle the wage problem would
fail, and that all railway workers
were opposed to it. He said imme-
date action was necessary, and that
action by congressional commission
would be too slow process.
Four hundred and fifty thousand
members of the Brotherhood OF Rail-
way aud Steamship Clerks, Freight:
Handlers. Express and Station En-
ploycs Joined with. other railway
workers in demanding that unless
something be done materially to re-
duce the cost of living. our wages
must be raised to give, us Immediate,
relief"
The demands have been transmitted
to the railroad administrator. J. J.
Forester, president Of the brother
hood announced.