The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-03
BROTHERHOOD
VIEW EMBODIED
IN HOUSE BILL
Government Control Held
Surest Way to Cut
Living Cost.
4 P. C. BONDS TO PAY
Valuation of All Lines to Be
Determined by the
Courts.
MEN TO SHARE SURPLUS
Directorate of Fifteen Will
Have Complete Control of
Operation.
MEN TO SHARE SURPLUS
Special Despatch to TEE suS

WASHINGTON, Aug. "A yeiled
threat to paralyze the transportation
systems of the country II the rail-
roads are turned back to private
ownership and operation was made
here tonight in q statement signed
by heads of the four railroad brother
hoods and the acting president of the
railway employees department Of the
American Federation of Labor. 1t
was demanded that complete Govern
ment ownership of the railroads fol-
low Immediately upon the end of Fed
eral operation.
Representative Sims (Tenn.), who
was chairman of the Interstate Com
merce Committee of the House until
this Congress, at the demand of the
labor men introduced a bill embody-
ing their demands.
The Sims bill will be considered by
the House Interstate Commerce Com
mittee. It will also be taken up by
Director General Hines when he ap-
pears before the committee.
Demands I'm Detail.
The main provisions of the bill fol-
low:
l. Purchase by the Government
OF all railroad systems upon a val
uation to be determined finally by
the courts.
2. Payment for the properties by
the issuance OF Government bonds
bearing 4 per cent interest.
3. Operation by a directorate OF
fifteen. five to be chosen by the
President to represent the public,
five to be elected by the operating
officials and fve by the classified
employees.
4. Equal division OF surplus, af-
ter paying fixed charges and oper-
ating costs, between the public and
the employees.
5. Automatic reduction OF rates
when the employees share of the
surplus is more than per cent OF
the gross operating revenue.
s. Regional operation as a unified
system.
7, Building of extensions at the
expense OF the communities bene-
fitted. in proportion TO the benefit.
The statement Of the hrothernoods OF
the bill was signed by Warren s. Stone
grand chief Brotherhood Locomotive En-
gineers; w. G. Lee. president Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen Timoth
Shea, acting chief Brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen; L. Z
Sheppard. presiden; Order Of Railwa
Conductors B. NJ Jewell. acting presi
don't railway employees department
American Federation of Labor.
Statement I'm Full.
The statement follows:
"Labor's railroad bill has the pun
pose of reducing the cost Of living b
operating the most important industr
,, in the country for service rather tina
for profit
. Labor faces n persistently seriou
! situation due TO the cost OF living an
the impos slbility Of wages keeping paC
with the depreciation Of money. No fur
2 damtntAl changes are being advanced I
: save workers from continual defeat
- the economic struggle OF life. Ths raj
road employees are in no mood to broo
q the return of the lines to their formt
q control, slnce all the plans suggeste
n for this settlement OF the problem leaN
n Is bor essentially where II has stood an
p where Il Is determined not to stand
''Wo realize that in the strife 'fC
q wage increases we cannot win an
; permanent victory, 1t is not money b,
A value which counts. The vicious circ
; IL Infinite increased wages arc ov'
capitalized for inflated profits and II
/. cost of goods mounts faster than II
a wage level. few grow wealthy, ar
: the multitude IL impoverished.
= "Any basic change must begin wit
a the railroads. We believe the interes
: OF labor and the public to be identic
q in the railroad question. The properti
y have been operated for the profit OF u
a few. not for the service OF the man
Not only have we suffered from mad
4 quate wages. but the public has pa
= an extortionate tax for transportatio
. a tax based on inflated values and CO
- lected from every person ouylng u
!. necessarles OF life.
;. President Is Quoted.
" "Our proposal is TO operate the raj
y roads democratically, applying the pri
n cipies to industry for which in interni
q tional affairs the nation has partic
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