Evening star., 1919-12-21
CUMM|NS RAIL BILL
PASSED BY SENATE;
VOTE IS 46 TO 50
Measure Unchanged in ANY
important Detail; Has
Anti-Strike Clause.
COEFEREES TO ATTEMPT
ADJUSTMENT WITH HOUSE
Provision for Return to Private
Owners January 31-La Toilette
Substitute Is Rejected.


Tha Cunmins railroad bill was
passed by the Senate yesterday after
noon by a vote of sc to 80. Imme-
diately the measure was sent to con-
ference. where an attempt will be
made during the holiday recess OF
Congress to adjust the differences be-
tween the Senate bill and the Esch bill
passed by the House.
The conferees on the part Of the
Senate will be Senator's Cummins,
Poindexter and Kellogg. republicans,
and Senators Pomerene and Robinson,
democrats. The House will be repre-
scnted by Representatives Esch,
Hamilton and winslow, republicans,
and Representatives SIMS and Barkle,
democrats.
The Cummins bill, which paves the
way for the return Of the railroads to
private operation, went through with
out change in the anti-strike and
other important provisions. about
which q battle has ragged in the Sem
ate for many days.
Return by January 81.
Unless vetoed by the Pres dent, the
pending legislation. according to
plans of congressional leaders, would
require return of the roads by Janu-
ary 81. The railroad administration,
however. has plans ready for their re-
proclamation, should Mr.. Wilson ad-
here to his announced program.
preceding the final vote the Senate
rejected, 6e to II, n substitute bill
offered by Senator La Toilette. repub-
mean, Wisconsin,. proposing retention
OF the roads another two years. Three
republicans, Gronna, North Dakota:
La Toilette, and Norris. Nebraska, and
elght democrats, Ashurst, Ariscna;
Oregon; Henderson, Ne
vada; johnson. South Dakota; Ken
d:ick. Wyoming; Nugent, Idaho:
Sheppard. Texas. and Walsh, Montana,
voted for the plan.
Vote On Roll Call.
The Cummins bill was supported by
3S republicans and IL democrats and
opposed by republicans and 2s DEM
ocrats. The roll cali follows:
For: RepubIicans-Ball, Brandegee.
Colt, Cummins. Curtis. Dillingham;,
Edge Elkips,, Fernald, Freliughuysen,
HALF, Hardfng,s Jones z(Washington}, j,
kellogg, Kenyon. Keyes Knox, Lodge,
Mccormick, Mclean. Moses, Nelson,
New. Phipps, Poindexter. Sherman.
Snnoot. Spencer. Sterling. Townsend,
Wadsworth. Warren and Watsoc--33
Democrats-Bankhe Gay. Hitch
cock, Myers, Pomerene, Ransdell.
Robinson, Smith (Maryland), Stanley.
Thomas. Underwood, Walsh (Mon-
tana) and Williams-13.
Total-4S.
Against
Republicans-Bora Capper, France,
G-onna, la Toilette. Lenroct, McNary
and Norris-s.
, MISUNDERSTANDING chamberlain.
Gore, Harrison, Henderson. Johnson
(South Dakota). Jones New Mexico).
Kendriok, Kirby. Mcclellan, Nugent,
OverInan, Sheppard, Simmons. Smith
(Georg'a), Smith (South Carolina).
!Trammell and Walsh (Massachu-
setts)-2e.
When the House was informed th0t
the Senate had passed the Cummins
bill Representative Esch, chairman
Of the interstate commerce commit
tee. who will head the House con-
of the two bills were so radically
different that it seemed absolutely
certain that the conferees would have
to later ask the House for instruc-
tion."
House to bind it's conferees to the
plan Of voluntary mediation OF labor
disputes proposed by the House bill.
Favor Test In House.
REPRESENTATIVE Garner. Texas. DEM
ocratic whip, said he favored a test in
the House on the Senate labor section,
which includes the anti-strike provi-
sion.
Both Senate and House bills propose
private ownership and operation Of the
ri
pervision, but differ radically in other
respects than their labor provisions.
The Senate bill would transfer the roads
at midnight of the last day of the
month in which the legislation is en-
;."ted the He b. ms tnA'' . :
the 18th of the month. otherwise at the
end Of thirty days.
Conferences to ha rlnonize the two bills
will begin tomorrow, but while q long
struggle is expected during the recess
period, an agreement soon after Con-
ferees' aim.
The Senate vote was the culmina-
tion of the debate begun December
and which has held the Senate in ses-
sion nightly for the last week. Sen
ator La Toilette wound up the debate
in q four-hour address in behalf Of his
substitute.
Attack on the Cummins bill in the
Senate centered largely on the anti
strike clause, penalizing lockouts OIL
strikes of employees All efforts to
eliminate or modify 1t were defeated
1t now must run the gauntlet of con-
ference with predictions general Of 9
compromise with the House plan OF
voluntary mediation without prohibit.
ing strikes. Also to be harmonized are
the Senate and House plans for labor
bodies 70 deal with disputes ovel
wages and working conditions.
Consolidation Of Systems.
Both the Senate and the House bills
in varying degree. permit consolida-
ton of competing systems upon ap-
also are alike in prescribing exclusive
federal regulation of capital issue:
and expenditures, and in es' ablishine
federal regulation OF Intrastate' rates
affecting interstate commerce.
Among major differences are tht
creation of transportation board
and new statutory rule of. rat'
! making to guarantee fixed dividends
/ both proposed only in the Senate plan
, The transportation board under thu
| Senate bill would determine the coun
! try's transportation needs with th'
! Interstate Commerce Commission be
! ing directed to grant rates sufficien
| to meet these demands. The Hous'
/ bill. while directing the Interstate
| Commerce Commission to keep in
| formed on the transportation needs
| facilities and services. would great.
extend the commissions authorit!
| another government body.
The Senate's rule Of rate making
! CONTINUED on Second Pase.)