The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-04
'FAVORS AGENCY
TO FIX WAGES
Senator Underwood, of Ala
bama, Advocates Creation
of Railroad Commission.
HAVE POWER OVER RATES

Washington, Sept. 4.-Establsh-
ment Of a governmental commission
or board with powers to fix both rail-
road wage scales and transportation
rates was advocated in the senate to-
day by Senator Underwood. of Ala
bama, a democratic member of the
interstate commerce committee.
Without disclosing whether he ia
vored the interstate commerce COM
mission as the proposed tribunal, or
discussing the Cummins bills plan
to prohibit strikes and lockouts OF
employees. Senator Underwood said
the interests of the public. of capital
and railroad employees require such n
plan. 1t Is clearly within the right
of congress, he declared, to create an
agency to determine wages as we'll as
rates.
Men will not strike" said the Ala
bama senator, against the just de-
cisions OF the government. After a
fair determination Of the controversy
by an impartial tribunal. public
sentiment will force the contending
parties to accept the verdict rendered
as final. 1t must be done in the in
terest of the men involved, the in
dustry Of the people and the peace OF
the nation"
The tribunal he proposed, Senator
Underwood continued, must have the
authority and power to protect the
rights of the whole people against the
recurrence of strikes and lockouts."
Disturbance of transportation, he
said, affects the whole public and
therefore railroad employees owe
obligations in their action different
from those in private industry.
Sees but One Way Out.
There is but one way out, In my
judgment" he continued. "and that is
to appoint tribunal with the power
to adjust these matters, which has
the time to consider and the opportu-
nifty to know the facts. Such a tri-
bunal must not only have the power
and be prepared to do what is right
and just by the labor employed on
the railroads, but must have author
ity and power to see that property is
rot confiscated by its decisions. For,
should you confiscate the property of
the transportation companies, you
would break down the channels of
transportation as effectively as you
would break them down in n strike,
with the resultant injury to the peo-
pie. A tribunal of this kind must
also have the authority and opportu-
nifty to consider the rights OF the
shippers and travellers who, In the
last analysis, will bear any increased
burden that fails on the carriage of
property or persons over the trans
portatioh lines.
IF you want a final and Just solu-
tion OF such a controversy, you are
practically driven to leaving the de-
cision to a governmental commission
that has fall and ample opportunity
TO investigate the rates of wages, the
earning power of the transportation
companies, the cost of living. the bur-
Gen that rests on the shipping pub
lie, and to determine: First, what is
fair, just and living wage for the
men; second how far this charge can
be placed on the capital of the cor
poration without breaking it down,
destroying the value OF its securities,
bankrupting its property and taking
away from the investigating public a
fair return for capital invested. third,
how far can increased charge for
labor, interest or supplies, can be
handed down to the public without
doing injustice to the shipper and
traveller, and without becoming a
menace to the development of in
dustry.
Power to Reflect Findings.
at Is essential that the board or
commission that Is given the power
to adjust the wage scale of the men
must also have the power to reflect
It's findings in the rates charged for
The transportation of persons and
property over the railroads."
Senator Underwood said the time
has come when contests of brute
force" between capital and labor must
cease and that the right of labor
should be recognized and protected
by law. as are those of property.
Present conditions, he said, are
primitive" and collective bargain
ing. he said, cannot be pursued
against general public interest. Use
of force in diminishing or increasing
wages must end, he declared, adding,
however, that he does not favor laws
requiring labor by compulsion.