Evening star., 1919-12-30
CONFEREES ON RAIL
MEASURES DEBATE
CAR SERVICE RULES
Labor, Rate Basis, Regional
Consolidation May Be
Reached Next Week.

Labor. rate making and regional
| consolidation provisions of the Esch
and Cummins railroad bills. the three
principal points of difference between
House and Senate cohferees. will not
be reached before next week. Senator
Cummins said today. No session will
be held Thursday New Year day.
Car service sections of the bill were
considered today. with the conferees
agreed on government supervision of
car distribution TO shippers and un-
dertaking TO iron out only admins
trative differences.
The National Association OF Railway
Executives has submitted an addi-
tiOna1 memorandum to the confereeS
protesting against Legislation limiting
the earnings of strong railroads and
ma king excess earnings available for
weaker lines. Like previous pleas
made TO committees, the new memo
randum questions constitutionality of
, the excess earning legislation.
Representing $500 900 railway work
era in four big brotherhoods and ten
organizations of trades and crafts
affiliated with the American Fedora
ton of La bor. the conference of rail-
road employees called by President
Gompers on the day that the con-
ferecs for the House and Senate met
to adjust differences regarding legis-
lation to govern the railroads after
they have been restored to private
ownership. on March /, went on rec
ord as opposed to legislation designed
10 prevent strikes In formal state
mont issued last night the conference
reaffirmed what il has been contend
ing for several months-that the period
of federal control for the railroads
should be extended for two years.
Railway Bills Discussed.
The parliamentary situation of the
Cummins and lisch railroad bills was
10 Il Iiro
Among the conclusions reached by
he conference were that the penalty
clauses in pending legislation on rail-
roads against employees quitting work
| should be eliminated and that govern
ffients control over the roads should
not be reiinauished for at least two
years. in order that a proper test of
federal operation might be made Op-
portunity for fair demonstration
was not afforded during the war
period, the conferees declared.
While the conference reiterated the
demand of organized labor that the
government should hold the railroads
for peace time test of two years,
the union officials explained that they
had no reason to doubt the carriers
date specified by the President. re-
gardless of the enactment meanwhile
of legislation for protection of the
properties. The conference also ia
vored the provisions of the bills
which would establish better rela-
tons between empioyes and the car
There were reports in congress
sional circles that some railway ex-
ecutives 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 Daniel Willard
when the latter called at federation
headquarters. Elimination of the Sec
tion, said senators and representa-
tives opposing 1t, would make it pos
sible for the conferees to reach a
speedy agreement. but it has been
announced that the whole strike Ques-
tion had been put back for considera-
ton after agreement on all other
9uestioHs'. zp9@fs ssu@ "a 81 Il
Erroneous Announcement.
1t had been announcer that repre-
sentetives 9of the six railroad shop
trades would confer during the day
with Director General Hines, but
there was no meeting. and 1t was
explained that the announcement was
erroneous.
Coincident with the meeting of rail-
road workers. T. c. Atkeson, WASH
fngton representative of the National
Grange, announced that masters of
! the thirty three states oranges had
been requested to give their views on
pending railway legislation.