New-York tribune., 1919-12-26
Congress Conferees Near
Compromise on Board
of Outsiders to Adjust
Difficulties of Employees
''Blacklist'' Plan
May Be Endorsed
No Further WageIncrease
Demands Expected Be-
fore Owners Get Lines
NcaU York. Tribune
Wdshtn0tO1t Bursau

NcaU York. Tribune
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25.--La-
boris attitude on the return of the
railroads to private ownership, it
was said here to-day, depends on
whether the anti-strike provisions
Of the Cummins bill are stricken
out or retained by the conferees Of
che two houses, who are now SEEK
ing to compromise the differences
between the Cummins and the Esch
railroad return bills. If these pro-
visions, which are highly objection
able to labor, are omitted from the
completed legislation it is believed
that all will go we'll, but if they are
made part of the law a strong eff
fort will probably be made to Gre
ate great public demand for a
more extended period of government
control.
A compromise on the anti-strike
provisions, it became known to-
night, is being worked out. The
plan, which is being favorably con-
sidered by both the Senate and
House conference committees, would
place the final decision in disputes
between railroad companies and
their employees in board in which
neither the employees nor the COM
panies would be represented. Fail
ure to carry out the decisions of the
proposed disinterested board, under
the plan, would be the "blacklisting'
for period of four months of strik-
ing employees or executives who
caused a lockout.
Lenroot Proposes Plan
The plan was proposed by Senator
Lenroot, Republican, of Wisconsin, dur
ing discussion of the Cummins bill in
the Senate. The Senate and House are
widely split on the labor provisions of
the two bills. and some of the members
of both conference committees have
suggested the Lenroot proposal as q
compromise.
The Senate conferees admit after
the first two days of conference that
the drastic anti-strke provisions Of
the Cummins bill, making strikes un-
lawful and punishable with heavy fines
and long imprisonment, are done for.
Senate conferees said to-day that they
cannot have the anti-strike clauses. Of
the Senate bill retained, and they favor
the Lenroot proposal as a COMPROMISE
The Esch bill, which passed the
House, provides for complicated sys-
tenn of voluntary conciliation of dis
putes. The Senate conferees are as
strongly opposed to the system pro-
posed in the House measure as the
House cOnferees are to the drastic
provisions of the Cummins bill. The
House conferees have expressed a
willingness in conference to meet the
Senate half way and accept the Len
root plan.
The Lenroot proposal in a general
way looks to the establishment Of an
impartial board of ultimate appeal to
settle finally all disputes between the
companies and the employees.
Cummins Ready to Arbitrate
Senator Lenroot has discussed tho
plan thoroughly with Senator Cum
mlns, and the latter is said to favor the
proposal.
Heads of the four great railroad
brotherhoods and of the organizations
of railroad workers affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor are ex-
pected in Washington early next week
for a conference with Samuel Gompers.
don't Of tho
prominent labor officials. Labor's posi-
ton will be fixed then, if it is possible
for the chiefs to determine upon it
so far ahead of the day when tue roads
go back under the Presidents procla-
nation, but at any rate clear idea of
how the return is regarded will be OBJ
tanned. No definite statement of
labor's position toward the March ! re-
turn is expected from officials hero
until after the conference.
Labor has made a vigorous fight to
have the roads kept IN government
hands for two years more, but it has
been no more vigorous than that waged
by the railroad administration under
W. g. McAdoo, the first Director Cen
eral, and under Walker D. Hines, the
present incumbent. Mr. Hines months
ago saw he could not expect to prevent
Congress from putting through legisla-
ton which would compel turning back
Of the roads at an early date, and in
the last few weeks is understood to
have agreed with Senator Cummins.
chairman of the Senate Interstate Com
merce Committee, and Representative
Esch, chairman of the House commit
tee, that March / would be a proper
date for giving them up.
Hines Pacifes Shopmen on
Mr.. Hines so far also has succeeded
in pacifying the railroad shopmen, who
demanded wage increases in the late
summer and who postponed those de-
mands when President Wilson asked
them to do so and at the same time
promised that the cost of living would
be reduced.
Attorney General Palmer has In
formed the country that the cost Of
living will go down between January
and March 1, and the shopmen are
expected to whit until he has received
a fair opportunity to demonstrate hid
accuracy AZ \ prophet before they re,
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