The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-08-08
LABOR To GOVERN
TRADE IS PLANNED
Rail Control Would Serve
AS Lever For Other
Purposes

Washington, Aug 5.-Nationaliza.
ton of all essential industry in the
Knitted States Is the objective of the
American Federation of Labor This
will be made clear tomorrow at the
hearing before the House Interstate
C'."';'c Committee - consider the
Plumb proposal that private capital
Il retired from railroad operation
and that there be substituted a tripar-
tite control of the railroad properties
by the public. the operating manage
ment and employees.
At Mr.. Plumb.s office tonight It
was said that the statement, which
will be read at the hearing tomorrow
by Warren S. Stone, grand chief of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers, will be "a new magma charta
for labor"
viii State Labor's Purpose.
Mr.. Stone and Frank Morrison,
secretary of the American Federation
of Labor, who also will address the
committee, will make clear the pur-
pose of labor to share in the control
of the operation OF all the national in
dustries and also in their profits.
"The proposal of arganized labor
is confined for the present to the con.
troll and operation of the railroads.
But IL Is. not the intention that It
shall end there. On the contrary,
the support of the American Fedora
ton for the Plumb plan to have the
railroads owned by the government
and operated by railway workers on a
profit-sharing basis was secured on
Che pledge that If this plan should
achieve success, through the support
Of all organized labor, railway work.
ers would stand with the workers in
other essential industries In bring
ing about naturalization of those in
dustrics under similar conditions.
The mine workers, for instance,
have had under consideration for two
months the British mine workers
plan for the naturalization of the
mines of the United Kingdom, altho
that plan, | am informed. mas not yot
been made public in Great Britain.
Plan Presents Difficulties.
In considering this plan for the
naturalization of the coal mines, IL
was found the problem presented diff /
fculties and complications which do
not exist in relation to government
ownership of the railroads.
The railroads, even under private
ownership, have had a quasi public .
character. A railroad is a public
highway and as such is subject tn
regulations of the state. Coal mines
have no quasi public character and
the only regulation to which they are
subject by law is such as is necessary
for the safety. the comfort and health
% their workers. 4,
After general consultation among /
the leaders of labor, it was agreed.
therefore that the naturalization OF
he railroads was the easiest approach
10 public ownership. If that did not
y cceed. II was not likely that the ma /
fOnalization of the mines or any
other essential industry could sue {
iced.
SO IL was decided to concentrate all !
he strength of organized labor in Sc J
,uring the adoption by Congress of
he Plumb plan for the natiopaliza- I
ion of the railroads. If this shall be
the program is to proceed Il
It once to naturalization Of other in '
lustr!es rhe mines probabl! will C
ome next I
Submits Wage Demands.
The wage demands of $4,000 rail- O
way clerks, freight handlers aud eX- \
ress and station employees on the Y
ailroads under federal control were
laced before Railway Director Hines o
oday by j. j. Forester. grand presi- c
ent of the brotherhood of these en-
loyes. r
Senator Cummins, chairman of the n
Interstate Commerce Committee of h
he Senate, in an address to the Sen
te today, declared that the President @
nd the railroads had the full power Il
D deal with the demands for in
reases of wages made by the men. g
enator Cummins said there was no p
for the administration ap-
ealing to Congress for any further h