Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-30
(By Morning journal Special Leased wlre)


Washington, Dec. 9.-Representa-
tives of the four railway brother
hoods and heads of affiliated trades
adopted tonight declaration of
principles opposing legislation which
would make strikes of railway work
ers unlawful.
- The declaration framed at a con-
ference with President Gompers of
the American Federation of Labor,
declared 1t the sense of organized
laliway employees that penalty clauses
in pending railroad legislation against
workers ceasing their employment
should be elimMated
AT the conclusion of a five-hour
session President Gompers dictated
this stateDent:
Gompers Issues Statement.
"On Friday last a number of the
representatives of the railroad Or
ganizattons, both shop men and the
train service, met at my office and
we discussed the situation regarding
the railroad legislation and | issued
an invitation to the executives of the
ten shopmen's organizations affiliated
with the American Federation OF
Labor and to the four railroad
brotherhoods, asking them to meet in
conference with me here today We
began our meeting atS3 O'Clock and
adjourned after eight, The entire
time was taken up with a discussion
of the parliamentary situation of the
railroad bills. We reached these con-
clusions
Want Control Retained
THAT it is the sense of the con-
ference that the control of the
railroads should be exercised by
the government of the United
states for period of not less
than two years in order that
proper test may be made as to
government control.
THAT such test has not been
given a fair opportunity during
the war or since.
"rhis conference is opposed to
legislation making strikes Of
workers unlawful, 1t is the sense
of this conference that penalty
clauses in pending legislation on
railroads against workers ceasing
their employment should be
"That the conference favors
tie enactment Of beneficial feat
ures OF the bills which tend 10
establish better relations be-
tween fHe enSfo. ns aad ~ car
aIhar the beneficial clauses
should be extended to teh Sleep
iN"-IHar and Pullman company
employees"
20 Hope of DELAY.
the demand of organized labor that
tne gov eminent should hold the rail-
roads for a peace time test of two
years, the union officials explained
tndt they had no reason to doubt the
carriers would be handed back March
l, the date specified by the president.
regardless of the enactment mean
while of legislation for the protec-
tion Of the properties.
L. +. Sheppard, president of the
Order of Railway Conductors, was
the only big four brotherhood head
at the conference, the others being
represented by deputies.
Clause Will Not Pass.
While there were many animate
speeches. and general discussion of
the Cummins railroad bilR with It's
drastic anti-strike provision, 1t was
said that the railway men were of
one mind in opposing the section
making strikes illegal, Before and
after the conference, however. the
union representatives, discussing in,
formally the railroad situation. said
they had assurances that the house
would not accept the labor section
of the Cummins bill.
Soon after the conference got well
under way, President Gompers. who
presided, returned to his office and
conferred for an hour with Daniel
Willard, president Of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad The visit of Mr., |
Willard to federation headquarters
had not been announced and 1t pro-
voked some comment as to its pos |
sible meaning, but on leaving, the
railroad president declined to sayI
what he had discussed with Mr.
The latter also declined to talk
Railroad Executives Oppose.
There were reports in congress |
sional circles today that some rail- |
way executives were opposed to the /
labor section of the Cummins bill, /
and later 1t was suggested that this |
may have been one Of the questions
discussed by Mr.. Gompers and Mr.
Willard. Elimination Of the section,
said senators and representatives OPP
posing 1t, would make 1t possible for
the conference to reach a speedy
agreement, but it has been announced
that the whole strike question had
been put back for consideration after
agreement on all other sections,
AS labor officials were entering |
their conference, senate and house !
conferees on the Cummins and Esch |
railroad bills were concluding their
first meeting, at which they set out
to harmonic the two measures.
Provisions relating to regulation /
of railway securities were under dis
cussion for the greater part of the
five hour meeting, but no definite |
decisions were reached.
No Conference With Hines.
1t had been annunced that repre-
sentatives of the six railroad shop
trades would confer during. the day
with Director General Hines, but
there was no meeting. and it was
explained that the announcement
was erroneous.
Conicident with the meeting Of
railroad workers. c, Atkeson,
Washington representative of theNa-
tional Grange, announced that mas
ters of the thirty-three state oranges
had been requested to give their'I