Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-08-08
ESTABLISHED 1855
OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS
LaboflDemandS Elimination Vi I'll
gszs8- |Vate Capital.
WALL STREET CONTROL MUST end
Railroad Brotherhoods and American
Federation of Labor Make Formal
Announcement of Radical Policy
That Creates Much Concern Among
All Glasses Of Thinkers.

labor came out today Win tne uhe'
uuiyocal formal demand that private
capital be retired from lie railroads.
A tri-partite control imposed OF the
public, the operating m' nagement ane
the employees is demanded instead.
Addressed to the American public
and signed by the engineers. the fire.
men, the conductors and the American
Federation of Labor, a formal state
ment was issued announcing this pro
posal, which will be carried before
congress Wednesday.
-"It marks" says the statement, THE
step by which organized labor passe:
from demands for wage increases u
demands that the system of profits II
industry be overhauled."
This sentence sums up In a few
words the proposal of which there
have been hints and indications, but
which is now laid before the country
for the frst time. Everywhere In Of
ficial Washington it is recognized as
the most serious and far-reachine
proposition the country will be called
on to face.
Characterizing the proposal as
labor" II is put forth as remedy for
the high cost of living because, the
railroads are the key industry of the
nation. 1t demands the genuine CO.
operation and partnership based on
real community interest and partici-
patton in control" of which President
Wilson spoke to congress, and which
the statement says has been ignored
by labor and the private owners Of the
railroads.
1--WE ask,"it says, that the rail-
roads Of the United States be vested
in the public; that those actually en-
gagged in conducting that industry, not
from Wall Street but from the rail-
road offices and yards and out on the
railroad lines, shall take charge of this
service for the public"
Demands in Brief.
Briefly, labor's plan demands:
That private capital be eliminated
from the railroads.
That the private owners receive
from them government bonds with
a fixed interest return for every hon.
est dollar that they have invested"
That the tri-partite control hereto
fore referred to be established, in
corporations which shall lease the
roads and in which the public, the
operating managements and labor
shall be represented equally.
That the public, the operators and
the wage earners share equally all
revenue in excess of the guarantee to
private capital, by granting to the
operators and the employees one-hali
the savings which are expected to be
made by such perfected organiza-
ton, and the public the other half as
consumers, either by increasing serv-
Ice without adding costs or by re-
ducing costs.
"This role originates with labor,
says the statement, because labor
happens to have firm organization
through which it may become articu-
late"
The trainmen are not represented
in the statement because w. G. Lee
of the city, but it was said they would
join in it.
Text of Statement.
The statement follows:
1.-The innuendoes In telegraphed dis.
patches from Washington, appearing
also in the speech of Representative
Blanton, Of Texas, that the railroad
unions are holding up congress an6
the government may as we'll cease
This appeal Is made to the American
people direct. It invokes the judg.
ment and common sense Of public
sentiment, of all the public which
earns a wage or a stipend. We recog.
nize that the only way in which we
can exist under the present system Is
to demand further increases in wages
But we agree with Representative
Blanton that this affords but tenn.
porary relief 1t does not offer rem.
edy.
"Labor's bill, on the other hand
provides a remedy and we ask merely
that it's terms be scrutinized. Oul
full argument in support Of these
terms will be presented on Wednes-
day before the house committee or
interstate commerce. In this state
ment we are sounding the note o.
our basic principle.
Originates With Labor.
That this role originates with labor
Is merely because labor happens t
have firm organization through which
it may become articulate. 1t Is no
to benefit labor as labor alone; it /!
to benefit the consuming public, o
which labor at present is the audibl,
part. In labor's bill providing tina
the public take over the railroads ant
establish a tri-partite control between
the public. the railway operating
management and the employees, tn
labor organizations of America hav'
established this new policy which en-
visages their condition, not only a
producers. but also as consumers.
1T marks the step by which organ
lied labor passes from demands TO
wage increases to demands that tn,
system of profits in industry be over
hauled. Hitherto, during successive
wage negotiations and arbitration
awards, we have called for provisional
settlement only of questions arising
out of differences as to wages, hour
and conditions of labor. That prin
ciple of genuine cooperation ant
partnership based upon real com
munity of interest and participation
in CONTROL of which President vii
son has spoken to congress. has beel
ignored both by labor and by the pri
vate owners of the railroads.
Wake Increases Nullified.
What wage increases have beel
received during the past few year
resulted only in Immediately bein,
followed by more than proportional