The labor world., 1919-12-06
union labor TO
II / i D'|lR||lAl|EiINEW B ] BILL !: ::
( ! n !. d I|1||l|l|EvANCES
N1|||l||a|l$Ihallplnl Conference Next
week lIH|an New Fight
III tor rFJeedoin of Workers.
.>( yzStaffF Correspondent }

: -vS:<AH514A4NST4oXN,:1 -. ~, Lee. 3.-Ad-
Dor is to, have a new Bill Of Griev-
ances'x to present to the president and
congress-: =; 1eis,: will be prepared De-
cernber 1sf 1Sf at sAaeting in Washington
of pFsentthtiVeHso all national and
International onions, the railroad
brotihlerho6ds <d farmers organiza-
tlo1ass. .:s;S ~ En- ., zs1: z5.s
The extf4 ssssion of congress was
the smost;raacti6nery in history. While
the people sof HE country were sut-
:fering from the high cost of living
andnany efggyi1s, congress turned
a: deaf ear ITO te earnest appeals OF
the suffering. It passed the months
!. IN endeavoring "a find some new way
Of: encroaching oh the liberties Of the
people, especially Of those who work
for wages. Probably the most damag-
ing bills introduced related to the
turning over Of the railroads to their
owners. First, Senator Cummins sub:
mitted a bill that would enforce COM
pulsory service: Of the railroad en-
:,ployes: President Gompers, Of the
American Federation of Labor de-
clared before the senate interstate
commerce committee that when the
railroads were taken over by the gov-
ernnlent the employees were free men.
Employees Handcuffed. E:
"But now," he said, "you propose:
to turn them back with the employees
handcuffed:s'&;
Then Representative Esch came for
ward with a plan to make labor ,r-
ganiZations financially responsible for
damages suffered by a carrier by a
strike. Representative Webster, a
bitter foe of labor, went little fur
ther by Submitting an amendment
making mot only labor organizations
liable for. damages; but the members;
Seventy bills purporting to point
a way to. drive out anarchists, Boil
shevilzs and other disloyalists were in
troduced. But hidden in the lines Of
these bills were .+'jokers" that will af-
feet trade unions and their normal
activities. Labor officials point out
: that most judges in making decisions
always give the, benefit of the doubt
against labor
The coming conference will there
fore declare against all attempts to
take away the liberties of the loyal
! wage earneEsy under the guise of free
ing the :cotlntrYs o: those who have
been disloy oyal;:z::: It will point out the
dangers to. fhe country if the next
congress coEtInues it's reactionary pol
! icy:* .h,Wil1s charge without any quail
fication thatepngres is responsible
for the NJ ii numbers of anar-
| chists and. >Bolsheyiks and that the
F.; disloyal >elsrMSnfsW Mould have been far
greater not been for the
stablizing sftsSSHtAspf sftsSS the trade unions:
I :::@>> Lawyers Are Qusy.
Many~1h ern befssof congress have
been unusually. vinaictive. Most of
1. them are lawyers, as there are 351
! members -?of f-that45occupation among
! the 1871 m einbers Of congress. Sena-
tor Thomas, who is in sympathy with
the policies of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company, Senator Myers and
Senator McCumber have all made rec
ords for unjust charges against labor.
| The records of of those senators as
we'll as those o ~ other members Of
congress are being keptfor :use--in the
next political campaign. The con-
| ference will define a political policy
for the campaign and is expected
to follow it vigorously. It will be di-
rected against members Of congress
and will be- most far-reaching.