The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-08-29
PLAN TO REPEAT
ATTACK OF 1916
Railway Employees Chiefs Ap-
pear at Washington With New
Threat to Congress.
ASK 1000, 900, 900 MORE PAY.
Also Demand Naturalization Of Other
Industries, Following Example Of
Russian Sovlets.

Washington.-It is Just three years
since the four leaders Of the railway
brotherhoods, having refused arbitra-
ton of their demands, sat in the gal
lery of the United States Senate and
held their watches on the Senator's
while the memorable vote was being
| taken on the Adamson Law that gave
them $6O,O0O,OOO additional wages a
year. When the vote was counted and
announced the four labor chiefs rushed
out to the telegraph Office and with
drew the order for a nationwide
strike.
That such q scene may be again en-
acted on a much greater scale Is indi-
Gated by the startling Developments
days. Now the 100000 men in the
brOtherhoods have been joined by
more than q million other railroad
wOrkers-shopmen, trackmen, tele-
| graphers, clerks, station agents-and
the demands are many times what
they were three years ago.
| A Thousand Million Dollars.
On top of thousand million dollars
| of added wages granted by the Gov
| eminent In the past year and half,
the allied workers are asking for an
other increase of thousand million
dollars
But more than this, this great body
| Of railroad employees has served an
ultimatum on the Government that all
the railroads of the country must be
taken away from their owners and
turned over to the employees to be OPP
Grated by them on cOmmunistic
| profit-sharing plan.
The plan Is as daring as any con-
ceived by the Russian Bolshevists and
behind It is the threat Of a nationwide
strike, with the leaders of the men sit
ting In the Senate gallery, watches in
hand, counting the vote.
To Tie Up All Transportation.
ave will tie up the railroads so that
| they will never run again II we do not
get what we want" announced one OF
the labor spokesman, standing within
stones throw of the Capitol, and
|
ultimatum from leader of the Rus.
sian Soviet, was instantly flashed over
the telegraph wires to every part OF
the country.
| Since the first Brotherhood bomb.
shell exploded In Washington Mt the
end Of July, the fact has leaked out
that the brotherhoods are gathering
a propaganda fund Of $1O,0O0,O00 for
an intensive drive on Congress. Three
million dollars, 1t is announced, has
already been collected from the mem.
bers of the unions. This will be used In
campaign work in the Congressional
districts. with the purpose of enlist.
ing the votes Of the members OF
Congress, or of defeating them for
reelection If they do not vote az the
brotherhoods dictate. Money will also
be lavishly spent, It is stated, In send.
ing speakers throughout the country
| to stir up the enthusiasm of organized
labor for the brotherhood plan OF
communistic railroad operation.
"NationaIIzing" All Industry
| "If we don't get what we want out
| Of this Congress we will put this
| Congress out and put another one In
that will give us what we want" Is
the matter-of-fact announcement OF
the central propaganda Office of the
brotherhoods in Washington.
| Back Of the immediate purpose to
| gain control Of the railroads Is an
even deeper scheme to gain control OF
all great industries, taking them from
their owners and putting them under
the direct management of the organic
ed workers, as has been done in Rus
STA, and as they are attempting to dc
In Germany and Austria.
The reports of the United States
Railroad administration show that the
| Government, since it took over the
roads in December 1917, has increased
railroad wages by considerably more
than n thousand million dollars, and
about $500, 100000 year Is being tax.
en- out Of the National Treasury to
meet the deficit caused by the great
increase I'm labor cost.
Big Wage Increases.
| The principal advances in wages
have. heen: To shopmen, 100000, 900
to unskilled labor, S225, 100000; to the
train brotherhoods, $2OO,0OO,OOO; tc
clerks, $125,O00,000; to telegraph and
station agents, S10O,0OO,OOO; TO mis-
cellaneous classes, $110,0OO,0OO
| All of these groups are now demand
Ing additional increases Of from 30 tc
80 per cent. When the Government
took control of the roads the average
earnings of all railroad workers, In
GLIDING several hundred thousand un
skilled workers, was $1,000 year. The
average is now more than 81 800 and
the new demands would raise It to
$1,000.