New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
Hitchcock Hints at
Rail Referendum
Plumb PLar, Too Impor.
ta1t to Adopt Without
the Mandate Of People
Ne.c York Tribune
Wdshingtos Bureau

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.-The first
open suggestion from an Administra-
ton source that the naturalization Of
railroads be made an issue Of the 1920
! campaign came from Senator Hitch
cock, acting Democratic leader Of the
Senate, to-day. In q telegram to rail-
road workers of Nebraska, who had
asked his position on the Plumb plan,
Senator Hitchcock said:
"In my opinion Congress would not
be justified in enacting such radical
legislation without a mandate from the
people. The railroad organizations
have raised q very large question
one that should not be passed upon
by Congress without becoming tho
issue Of general election. I an op-
posed to the bill"
Brotherhoods Welcome Idea
The fourteen railroad brotherhoods
indicated that they would accept the
suggestion in statement Of their po-
sition placed before the House Inter-
state and Foreign Commerce Commit
tee to-day by Glenn L. Plumb. author
Of the naturalization plan.
I'VE appeal to tho statesmanship of
America and to The common sense Of
American manhood and womanhood." :"
the statement said. 1--WE are oil vot-
ers, and unless our democracy in gov
ernment is failure our democracy
il industry need not be-"
The statement was framed as rc.
tort to President Wilson'S warning in
or ~.
of strikes on the transportation sys-
TENS at this timo, would do those WHO
made them more harm than good. The
railway brotherhoods, through thor
international chief, who signed the
pronunciamento, made it clear that
they would not abandon threats Of
strikes IS G means of forcing action
on their wage demands. They gave as
sUrances, however, that strike meth DDS
would not bo resorted to to compel
what they called the Characterization"
Of the railway systems.
Deny Plan of Force
The full statement follows:
ITO prevent any Misunderstanding
as to the policy of the organized rail
road employees, We unite in a definite
assertion that we have no desire and
had none, to impress upon the public,
by violence or by threat, our proposal
that the railroads be nationalized I'M
der 'tripartte CONTROL
Two distinctly separate considera-
tions now confront the people, the
wage requirements of the railroad en-
the railway employees plan for reorgan-
lZation OF the railroadS).
"ln the matter Of wages we have sub
mitted an eminently just proposition.
We have said that if we are to con-
tinue to live as Americans should live,
and to care for our families as Ameri-
can families should be cared for, the
profteers must be restrained or our
wages increased. Every fair-minded
man and every intelligent housewife
Will recognize the reasonableness of this
request. If Congress and the President
cannot meet this request, it is still
g living question and we shall have to
try to find another solution.
"Thls, however, bears in no way upon
our sponsorship of the Sims bill. We
do hold to our conviction that the rail
road employees are in no mood TO con-
sign themselves finally to the auto
cratic control of financial dictators, but
in proposing the elimination of capital
and the tripartite directorate we have
no purpose Of intimi dation.
"We appeal to the statesmanship of
America and to the common sense of
American manhood and womanhood.
We are all voters; and unless our de-
mocTacy in government is a failure ou-
democracy in industry need not be.
We believe in the native ability Of
American labor. What we ask is the
Americanization Of the railroads."
On the basis of the Presidents ad.
dress Congress made up its mind to-
day that it would not be called upon
to handle any immediate phase of the
railway wage problem and could con-
tinue consideration of plans for dispo-
stion of the transportation systems
in an orderly manner. There was ser-
Gus doubt in some quarters that the
President would authorize an increase
in freight rates in view of his stand
on the high cost Of living. but there
was no doubt that the demands Of the