The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-16
LABOR LEADERS
VIEW POINT
Former Chief Garretson of Rail
way Conductors Testifes
Before Congress

way Conductors Testifes
Before Congress
Washington, Aug. 11.-Nine7tenths
of the energies Of labor leaders are
given to the job of sitting on the lid.
Austin .B. GarFetson. former head Of
the Order of {. Railway. Conductors.
testified today before the house inter-
state commerce committee which is
seeking to solve the problem of how
best to- handle, the railroads after the
war time period of federal control.
:. Sporadic strikes throughout; the
country, Garretson said. with great
earnestness. merely are straws which
show how the wind is blowing over
sea of industfil unrest.
Rumblings heard in many quarters
do net mean. he said, that laboring
people want to overthrow the govern
ment, but indicate a. demand that the
government function.
1t is largely in the power Of con-
gress, the witness declared, to allay
the feeling.
"But itscannot be done by inaction"
he: shouted Somehow. the Ameri-
can people are prone always not to do
today what may be done tomorrow ln-
less an emergency forces us to act,
aud then swe break all records.
Describing himself as a man who
had, been pilloried by the press from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, .Garretson
told the committee he had Travelled
long way to- speak in behalf Of the
Plumb plan which would give labor
voice lin the management of rail-
roads the people would own. But
he did not regard the Plumb plan. he
said. as more than one factor IN still
ing the spirit aof ethe present day ur-
rest, nor did he think it. would change
human. nature or other things that
can be. eliminated"
}; e ana not dreamer OF dreams, he
told the committee. which gave unus-
uar attention to his testimony. for his
appearance on the stand put a new
breath of life in the railroad hearing,
nov approaching it's second month,
The usual method of dealing with wit
nesses was abandoned largely at Gar
retson's request. He had no statement
in written form, when he started to
speak, as he expressed it, he did not
know where he would stop and for
two hours he was subjected to a rapid
cross fire Of questions from a dozen
members, and for each of which ne
had a quick reply,
Mr. Garretson, who had been wait
ing since early last week to be heard.
was called to the stand after Glenn
f.. Plumb. the man. who framed or
ganized labor's bill, had concluded his
testimony !;
There was no desire. he saidS to ex-
tend the Plumb plan beyond those in-
dustries in which men worked with
their hands. He wanted the men who
rMn the railroads to have a, voice in
their management: he, wanted politics
eliminated. and in the general dis
cussion of this last subject the witness
declared that there was no politics IN
the action of the American Fedara-
tien OF Labor in seeking to have the
postmaster. general removed because
this view. he held. was expressed by
Republicans and Democrats alike.
Admitting that the four great rail-
way brotf1erhoods supported Presi-
dent Wilson in 1916 and smiling
throwing in the added information
that with all nay Republican affllia-
tions, L am guilty too" Mr.. Garretson
insisted this was purely an sact of
citizenship"
After the question of presidential
politics ,had been raised. Mr.. Garrett
son said this might be his final ap-
pearance before congress and for that
reason he wanted the record to carry
denial from him of reports. long
current. that the brotherhoods with
a gum ia one hand and a stop watch
in the other" had held up congress
and forced through the enactment Of
the Adamson eight hour law.
There was no coercion of senator's
or representatives by the brother
hoods he shouted. pounding the ta-
BILE. to emphasize the denial "ana 1
challenge. anybody. to prove other
wise, -
Mr.. Garrstson testified that ne he
lieved the interstate commerce com
mission was free from politics and
that while the hrotherhoods had an
other candidate for the Office Of direc-
tor general he doubted If their own
man would have gone as far as Di-
rector General Hines in efforts to oh
tain successful operations of the prop
afties =, -:
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