Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1919-09-04
SUB-COMlMI1|' Tee | in
FAVOR OF PRIVATE;
OWNERSHIP OF R. R.
Give Our Government
Strict Control Over Opera
ton and Prohibit Strike.
and Lockouts.
(By the Associated Press)

(By the Associated Press)
Washington, Sept. a. Private
ownership and operation of railroads
in a number of regional systems un-
der strict government control with
strikes and lockouts of railroad en-
ployees prohibited the plan for
permanent railroad regulation SUBJ
mitted to the senate today by the
interstate commerce subcommittee.
A tentative bill embodying the SUBJ
s recommendations has
been introduced by Chairman Cum
Minis and referred to the full inter-
state commerce committee. The bill
is the result of many months of hear
ings and work by the subcommittee.
I Salient provisions of the Cummins
bill include:
Termination of government con-
troll and return OF the railroads to
private ownership on the last day of
the month of enactment.
Establishing the interstate. COM
merce commission with greatly in
creased powers as the supreme body
over railroad affairs.
Supervision and control Of virtual
ly all railroad affairs, including rates.
wages, operation and financing by the
government.
Creation of new committee on
wages and working conditions COM
posed equally of representatives of
employees and employers, with wide
authority in settling labor questions,
subject to decision Of the transporta-
ton board and interstate commerce
commission.
Prohibiting strikes and lockouts
of railroad employees under .fnes and
imprisonment penalties.
Defining q new policy for concen-
tration in ownership and operation of
railroads with federal Incorporation
into not less than 20 nor more than
35 regionau systems.
The keynote of the sub-committee's
bill, Chairman Cummins states in an
explanation to the senate, is the plan
for establishment Of 20 to 35 region
al real systems.
The new method for settling labor
disputes is in a proposed committee
of wages and working conditions,
Senator Cummins said, adding:
"It creates committee of wages
and working conditions which is to
be composed Of eight members, four
representing labor and four repre-
senting the railway companies.
"The committee and transportation
board shall take into consideration
the scale of wages paid for similar
kinds of work in other industries, the
relation between wages and the cost
of living, the hazard Of the employ
ment, the training and skill required,
the degree of responsibility and the
character and regularity of the en-
ployment."
Another provision Of the bill re-;
quires that railroad corporations
must have among their directors two
representatives of their classified
employees" and also two directors
representing the government. q
Another clause would create thru
the new transportation board an en-
]ployees' advisory council composed
OF representatives Of leach organ
lied craft of railroad brotherhoods"
to use one-half Of excess earnings Of
companies abeve their "fair" divi-
dends for the benefit Of employees:
The other half Of excess earnings
would be used by the transportation
board to buy equipment for that
leased to the cmopanies or for equip
ment loans. y