Evening star., 1919-12-28
R. R. EMPLOYEES SEE
TWOH0PES AGAINST
CLAUSE
Count on House Conferees to
Defeat It; If Not, Presi-
dent to Veto.
WORKERS. LEADERS HERE
TO DRAFT PRINCIPLES
Believed Other Trades Will Back
Machinists, Who Voted to Quit
if Provision Enacted.

Railroad employees. on the eve of
labor and legislative conferences. are
banking on two things-first, that
the House conferees will stand stub
bornly against acceptance of the
anti-strike clause in the Cummins
railroad bill substituted for the Esch
bill. and that the House will by big
majority support such action; sec
ond, that if both houses of Congress
approve an anti-strike clause Presi-
dent Wilson will veto the measure.
Admit Double Hope.
This double hope of the railroad
workers was admitted by their lead
ers last night, who have come here at
the call of Samuel Gompers to draw
up declaration of principles tomor-
row, just as the House and Senate
differences between the Esch and
Cummins bills. with the main points
of difference affecting the labor or
ganiZations.
Those members of Congress who are
in town believe that there is stronger
the House will fight strongly against
the drastic labor provisions of the
CumminS bill than there is that Pres
ident Wilson will veto the measure
sent TO MIN Dy LnS congress.
Labor leaders declared that moth
ing drastic was to be expected" but
the general view among organized
workers was that the affiliated trades
would stand by the railway machin-
lists union. which voted to quit work
if Congress enacted the anti-strike
provision.
Discuss Presidential Veto.
The possibility of presidential
veto has been given serious consid-
Grafton by members of Congress. who
proper legislation before the roads
are handed back to their owners on
March 1. Labor leaders in discussing
this eventuality also called attention
to this statement by the President
in his message to Congress four
weeks ago:
"The right of individuals to strike
lis inviolate and ought not to be in
tarfered with. by any process OF gov
ernment, but there is q predominant
rtkht of the government to protect
All sof its people and to assert its
power and majesty against the chal-
lenge Of any class" 80.
interpreted-by @ bfothsffood 6fdcefa
as virtual announcement by the
President that he would not sign q
bill denying the right to strike, and
by Senator Cummins and others as
notice by the President that even if
the right to strike was inviolate, the
rights of the public stood over and
above it.
See Ifs Elimination.
Regardless Of what action might be
taken by the brotherhood. the belief
prevailed in congressional circles that
when Senate and House conferees got
through with the Cummins and Esch
bills no vestige of the anti-strike
section would remain. The conference
ator Cummins and Senator Kellogg.
republican, Minnesota, return here
from North Carolina.
All of the Senate conferees voted
for the labor clause and are expected
to make a hard fight in conference
for its retention. On the straight Sem
ate test an amendment to eliminate
the section was defeated, 80 to "a.
Some idea of the attitude of the
House, however, was given last night
by members, who said that the anti
strike clause could not command fifty
votes in that body.
Labor Leaders to Confer.
The heads of the four big brother
hoods and the ten affiliated trades will
be in conference with President Com
pers tomorrow to draw up their dec
laration Of principles on pending rail-
road legislation. Committees repre-
senting the six shop trades have an
appointment tomorrow with Director
General Hines for discussion Of wage
demands, but it was said this might
be deferred until Tuesday.
1t was emphasized at the Fedora
ton of Labor headquarters that the
two conferences had nothing in COM
mon, although it was admitted that
the situation respecting wage de-
mands was somewhat changed, in
view of President Wilson's definite
decision to turn back the roads in
two months. In view of the short
period of government control there
was a feeling in some quarters that
the director general might refuse to
saddle a wage increase on the roads
On the eve of their return to private
operation Most of the leaders in
sisted, however. that the demands
would not be rejected. since Presi-
dent Wilson had promised to use his
influence to get more wages for rail-
way men if the government failed to
reduce the cost of living.
Every effort will be made to ex-
pedite railroad legislation. Great
pressure is being brought to bear on
members of the Senate and House
to speed up work. but there is little
hope of getting the bill out of con-
ference before the end of January.