Evening star., 1919-11-15
|TURN ATTENTIONS
TO RAILROAD BILL
House Leaders Buckle Down
to Task of Driving Through
Esch Measure.

CSCII WCdSulc.
House leaders today buckled down
to their task of driving through the
Esch railroad bill, hopeful that the
measure might be passed by adjourn
ment tonight.
Included among the changes remain
, ing to be disposed of was new rule
for rate-making, which was expected
to provoke a bitter fight. Chairman n
Esch of the committee that drafted
the railroad bill was among the most
vigorous opponents of this rule;
Each Of the proposals would 1 ex-
tend the authority of the interssa.e In ea,e
Commerce Commission. and ITS men, IN
bership would be increased oy tne
final section Of ntl. the snd e1l5 tfU thsir sai
aries would be fixed at $4,000 year.
Republican Leader Mondeh an ~.
nounced that with the passage OF INC @
railroad bill House business 1oI Lnv ~,
special session would be prac..cAhhs II y
complete. Formal adjournment ne
said would probably be delayed pc
cause of the treaty situation IN une
Senate. but he added that the House
would begin a mo business recess
early next week.
Workers Gain Point.
Railway workers scored a compset;e e; .
victory through incorporation VI 1h
plan for voluntary conciilati0n .ol 10
bor disputes in the Esch OIL yes'eI
day. The House re1ec'eu noa,,dinp ing an
anti-strike provision. and aiso tne
Man written into the bill by the
House interstate commerce commit
too which was described as m1dole
ground" between that adopted anu
compulsory arbitration. NO uireSs
vote on the anti-strike proposal was
taken. ~
the unions plan. won by large ma
iorities. First, by vote OF iot "
rs. the House substituted the unions
plan for compulsory arbitrauoh' anu
then. ISL to los, cast aside the com
n,;ttee nlan for that indorsed by the
workers. Final action came aIter
practically the entire day had neen
devoted to debate of the three pians;
and after adoption Of the worke:s
plan, renewed effort to incluoe . at
strike provisions met WIN
through parliamentary tactics'
Plan Described.
The plan approved by the railroad
employees, which was drafted oy nep
preventative Sweet. republican, iowa
and offered in the House by Represent
alive Anderson, republican, Mime
sofa. would legalize the machinery
used by the railroads and their en-
Moves before and during federal con-
troll for the settlement OF oisputes,
with commissions on labor disputes
nealed from the Joint boards that first
consider them. In brief, the plan oi-
yides the railroad workers into three
classes. and for each it establishes an
adjustment board and an appeal COM
mission No penalty against strike
or lockout Is imposed. and member,
ship on all six of the boards would
he restricted to the workers and their
employers, and diVldeo equaiiS oe
tween them.
Both the roads and the employees
would be directed by the plan. as
written into the bill, Ito exert every
reasonable effort and adopt every
available means to avoid an Interrupt
tion" Of traffic. and to this end the
three boards of adjustment wouId pc
created, these being substantially the
same as those existing under the
railroad administration.
Duties Of Boards.
The three adjustment boards could
each deal with disputes OF certain
classes Of the fourteen railway
unions. One board would include
representatives of the four big
brotherhoods-the engineers. the hre-
men. the conductors and the train
chinists. the boilermakers. the black
smiths, the carmen. the sheet metal
workers and the electrical workers:
and the third would include the
telegraphers, the switchmen. the
railway clerks and the way and shop
laborers. Railway executives would
have four, six and four representa-
tives, respectively, as members Of
these boards.
Headquarters Here.
Corresponding to each board there
also would be set up q commission
to consider appeals. which could be
sent to them by half the members
Of board. These commissions would
with the select method of choosing
members obtaining, but with duality
OF membership between boards and
commissions prohibited. Headquar-
ters of all six tribunals would be in
Washington.
Commerce Commission Discussed.
After determining the machinery for
adjusting labor disputes, the House
became involved in q more bitter
fight. centering about extension Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission au.
thority in regulating car service,
which was carried into the night ses-
sion. Before the fight became sharp,
however. the House without objection
approved q change in existing com :
merce law 80 that the Interstate Com.
merce Commission may upon its own
initiative compel q division Of Joint
rates SO as not to "unduly prefer or
prejudice any participating carrier"
Short line often refrain from
making complaint against their trunk
offense," declared Chairman Esch. ex-
planning the necessity Of the change.
Extension Of Powers Opposed.
AS soon as the section proposing ex-
tension of the Interstate Commerce
Commission authority over car service
had been read. several members, par
ticularly those from Texas, sought
to prevent adoption Of the section. be-
cause of broadening the definition Of