Evening star., 1919-12-26
ORDER TO RETURN
ROADS SURPRISES
0RGANREDLABOR
Brotherhoods Are Disap'
pointed Because U. S. Con-
troll Is Not Continued.


oSners March l next. as provided for
by President Wilson's proclamation,
issued yesterday, came as distinct
surprise to organized labor. generally
speaking. and according to local labor
leaders n great disappointment 10
the railroad brotherhOodS.
II had been the hope Of the men. as
represented by the big four unions,
made up of the brotherhood of l-o-
comotive Engineers, brotherhood or
Locomotive Firemen and Englnemen.
brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and
brotherhood of Railway Conductors,
that the President was favorable to
their proposition to have the govern
ment retain control of the roads for
al least two years.
Recently Samuel Gompers. president
Of the American Federation of Labor
accompa MED by International officers
of the railroad brotherhoods railroad
Shopmen and other interests in TINS
direction. were AT the White House
TO lay the matter before President
Wilson. presenting plan for the
pra ctical test OF government opera
1ion of the railroads under peace con-
ditionS.
Declare Crisis Reached.
Some representatives of the ma
tonal labor movement here IN close
taMch with the national railroad
the action of President Wilson is not
only surprising and disappointing, but
has brought about a cr1SiS that VIII
result i'll the labor movement mar
shaling all it's forces and influences
inean effort to kill the Esch and Cum
minis bills. The anti-strike clause of
the Cummins bill, in view of the
Presidents determination to return
the roads. will cause the labor move
1nent TO redouble its effort to defeat
at least that section of the measure.
There are those high in the ranks of
organized labor who believe that
should the Cummins bill pass Con-
EresS that President Wilson would
veto the measure.
1t will be recalled labor leaders
point out. that when the railroad
shopmen. machinists. electricians and
others operating the big railroad ter
minalS. numbering more than half
million men. were on strike or threat
ening to walk out last AuguSt they
returned to their work with the un-
derStanding that the matter would be
adjusted by the director general of
railroads within ninety days. the
promise having been made that the
high cost of living would be ma
terially reduced. Nothing in this di-
rection has been accomplished. the
railroad men say. and they are dis
satisfied. Now thar the roads are to
be returned. with no prospects of an
men view the situation as viola
tion of an obligation on the part of
the government
Setback to Plumb Plan.
That big factor known as the Plumb
Plan League. with more than a mil
lion membership among members of
organized labor in all its branches.
which has been fighting the return of
the railroads. proposing the operation
. of the roads under the Plumb plan,
has been given a distinctive setback
by order of the President. 1t is
said that the organization will keep
up its fight.
Some declare the situation presents
grave possibilities of nationwide
tie-up of the railroad systems through
the Big Four unions and the railroad
shopmen. unless there is an adjust
ment of their demands prior to, the
return of the roads two months hence.
Accounts Put in shape.
Believing that the physical prop
critics of the railroads would be
turned back with the new year. all
heads of divisions of the railroad ad-
ministration gave orders four months
ago for recapitulation of accounts and
placing of their business in such
shape that the roads could be handed
back with very little loss of time and
work.
Now. with the two-monthN extern
sion granted by the proclamation re-
turning the roads March I. all loose
ends of detail and business of the ad-
ministration of the roads will be in
better shape by March l than they
are at present 1t was said today that
some additional contracts will have
to be made for rails and ties and other
railroad equipment to cover the two
months extension. This will involve
some bookkeeping and further handling
of records which will not. however. en-
tail loss of time to the railroad admins
tration.
Orders by the director general for
an inventory of materials on hand as
of January / will be changed to have
the inventories as of March l. 1t was
said today that committees represent
ing the various carriers now under
federal control will arrive in Wash
ington toward the end of February to
handle actual taking over of the roads
on March l. Other representatives of
the now federally controlled carriers
will be in conference with railroad ad-
minlstration regional directors about
the same time. making arrangements
for local return of their properties
information obtained by the March 1
inventory will be used in settling ac-
counts with the roads.