Republican farmer., 1919-09-05
Interstate Commerce
 Subcommittee Submits
 Measure OTl Railroads
Would Have Lined Privately Owned Carefully Super vised By Government and Would Prohibit
 Strikes and Lockouts

Washington, Sept. 2-Private own crship and operation of railroads in a number of regional systems under strict government control with
 strikes and lockout of railroad em- ployes prohibited, is the plan for per manent railroad legislation submitted to the Senate today by the Interstate Commerce ub-committeo.
 A tentative bill embodying the sub committees recommendations which bear no resemblance to the Plumb
 Plan, had been introduced by Chair
 man Cummins and referred to the full Interstate Commerce Committed
 The bill is the result of many months
 of hearings and work by the sub committee which, bc-.dca Mir. Cum
 mins, includes Senators Kellogg, of Minnesota, and PoiEGoNteT, of Wash
 inGton, Republicans, and Pomerene, of Ohio. and Robinson, of Arkansas, Democrat ts.
 salient provisions of the CummiEs bill include:
 Termination of government control and return of the railways to private
 ownership on the last day of the month of enactment.
 Supervision and control of virtually all railroad affairs, including rates, wages, operations and financing. by the government.
 Creation of a new railway transpor- tation board of five members appoint ed by the President to supervise rail- way development and operations sub
 ject to final action of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
 Creation of a new committee of
 Iva vI posed equally of representatives of em-
 ployes and employers, with wide au-
 thOrity in settling labor questions, sub ject to devision of the transportation board and interstate commerce com
 mission.
 Prohibiting strikes and lockouts of railroad employees under fine and inn prisonment penalties
 Defining a new policy for concen- tration in operation and ownership A new guarantee by the government of future railroad income but limita- tions made upon revenue to fair f dividends based on value of proper ties fixed by the. interstate commerce commission.
 The bill also provides that existing railroad payment contracts with the 1 government shall be continued not longer than four months and that i present rates shall continue until changed by the interstate commerce commission with provisions looking to immediate action toward Teadjust- ments. The keynote of the subCom- mittee's bill, ChairmSl Cummins ! stated in an explanation to the Sen ate, is the plan for establish ment of 20 to 35 regional rail systems. The new method for settlement of labor disputes is a proposed commit tee of wages and working conditions. Senator Cummins said, adding:
 Tt creates a committee of wages and working conditions which is to
 be composed of eight members, four
 representing labor and four repre- senting the railway companies. Each railroad craft is to nominate candi- dates for this committee and the board is required to appoint four from such nominees. The railroad corporation is to nominate a can
 didate for mem bership and the board is to appoint four persons from among
 such nominations. This committee is to consider all complaints sub
 mitted by representa- atives of the em- ployes or of the carriers and is to decided by a majority vote and its decisions are to be certified to the transportation board. If the com mittee of wages and working condi- tions is evenly divided upon any dis pute. the whole matter is to be cer- tified to the board and the decision
 of the board is final and constitutes d