Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-04
ASKS u. S. BODY
TO FIX WAGES
AND RAIL RATE
Underwood Favors Nam
ing of Board to Handle
Railroad Affairs.

w washington sept. A.--ESldDiA
ment of a governmental commits
/ sion OF board with powers to nx
both railroad wage scales and
transportation rates. was advocat-
ed in the senate today by Senator
Underwood of Alabama, a Demo-
cratic member of the interstate
commerce committee.
Without disclosing whether he
favored the interstate commerce
commission as the proposed tribu-
nal or was discussing the Cummins
bills plan to prohibit strikes and
lockouts of employees. Senator I'm
derwoOd said the interests Of the
public. of capital and of railroad
employees require such a plan.
VIII Not Strike.
Men will not strike said the
Alabama senator against the just
decisions of the government. After
a fair determination OF the cOntro-
versy by an impartial tribunal,
public sentiment will force the con-
tending parties to aHept the YER
dict rendered as final. 1t must be
done in the interest of the men in
vulved, the industry of the people
and the peace of the nation"
THE tribunal he proposed" Sena-
tor Underwood continued. must
have the authority and power to
protect the rights of the whole peo-
pie against the recurrence OF
strikes and Iockouts." Disturb
ance of transportation, he said. af-
fects the whole public and there
fore railroad employees owe obEga-
tions in their action different from
those in private industry.
One Way Out
There is but one way out. in my
judgment" he continued. "and that
is to appoint a tribunal with the
power to adjust these matters.
which has the time to consider and
the opportunity to know the facts
A tribunal of this kind must also
have the authority and opportunity
to consider the rights of shippers
and travellers who in the last analy-
sis will bear any increased burden
that falls on the carriage of prop
erty or persons over the transpOr-
tation lines.
IF You want a final and just So
luton of such a controversy you
are practically driven 10 leaving
the decision to a governmental
commission that has fall and ample
opportunity to investigate the rates
of wage, the earning power of the
transportation companies, the cost
Of living. the burden that rests on
the shipping public and to deter
mine: first, what is fair. just and
living wage for the men; second.
how far this charge can be placed
on the capital of the corporation
without breaking it down. destroy
ing the value of its securities. bank
rupting its property and taking
away from the investing public a
fair return for capital invested:
third, how far an increased charge
for labor. interest or supplies can
be handed down to the public with
out doing injustice to the shipper
and traveller and without becoming
menace to the development Of
industry.
Must Control Rates Too.
1T is essential that the board of
commission that is given the power
TO adjust the wage scale Of the
men must also have the power to
reflect its findings in the rates
charges for the transportation of
persons and property over the rail-
roads"
Senator Underwood said the time
has come when contests Of brute
force" between capital and labor
must cease and that the right of la
Dor should be recognized and pro-
teCfed bv law. as are those Of prop
erty. Present conditions. he said.
are primitive" and collective bar
gaining. he asserted. cannot be pur-
sued against general public inter
est. adding. however thai he does
not favor laws requiring labor by
cOmpul5ion.