Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-02-03
CONSOLIDATION
OF RAILROADSS
CUT FROM Bill.
Conferees Agree Or
Elimination Of Sen
ate Provision

Squeezing VI HdISL 1IOLl VIC ANlA
road stocks and placing the roads
on a stable financial basis is urged
in a brief filed with the house and
senate conferees on railroad legisla-
ton today by citizens of the nation
al railroad league.
Plans for the compulsory corsoli-
dation of railroads as provlded under
the Cummins bill, was eliminated
from the bill today by the house and
senate cOnferees, who also agreed to
strike out the senate provisions pro
viding for the establishment of a
transportation board.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-The rail-
way brotherhoods and organized la
Dor generally have won their fight to
prevent any anti-strike provision be-
ing Incorporated in the new railway
legislation turning the roads back to
their private owners.
While the senate and house con-
ference committee, trying to bring
agreement out of the Cummins and
Esch bills. have not formally acted
upon the anti-strike section of the
Cummins bill, it is known that any
idea of getting the house to accept
the senate anti-strike provisions has
been given up.
Organized labor had centered it's
fight among the members of the
house. That body rejected an anti
strike provision similar to that in
corporated in the Cummins bill when
the Esch bill was before it. But the
senate, having adopted the anti-strike
provision, tried to get the house to
recede and accept it's labor pro-
visions.
House Thoroughly Canvassed.
1t is known that the house mem
bership has been thoroughly canvass
ed on the proposition and that the
conference committee was informed
there would be no railroad bill at all
if the senate insisted upon accep-
tance of the strike prevention pro
vision. The conference committee is
said now to have proposals before it.:
To adopt a provision for the
compulsory submission and in
vestigation of all disputes for a
specified period before a strike
may be called. That is much
along the lines of the Canadian
compulsory investigation legisla-
ton which does not go to the
point of making strikes illegal.
To eliminate all labor sections
altogether, pass the railway bill
and bring in separate measure
with the labor phases.
1t is expected that some proposal
more along the line of the first plan
is more likely to be adopted than the
second.
Hope for Longer Possession.
Organized labor still is hoping that
no agreement can be reached on the
legislation, and that, through failure
of congress to pass adequate laws for
the roads return, the government
will be compelled to retain posses
sion of them for another two years.
But such tremendous pressure is be-
ing brought, especially from the
farming sections, upon congress to
assure the roads going back to pri-
vate ownership, as President Wilson
already has ordered, that it is ex-
pected the railroad bill will be back
before congress for final action be-
fore many days. Both at the White
House and to the congressional COM
mittees organized labor still is in
sisting that the government should
retain control of the roads and Oper-
ate them.
Farmers Want Roads Returned.
An effort has been made to have it
appear that the farmers are insisting
upon government operation and even
tual government ownership. Dele
cations announced as representing the
farmers and union labor of the coun-
try have united in this final fight for
continued government operation. But
the farm organization represented by
the Farmers National Council, is a
radical organization closely affiliat-
ed with the Non-Partisan League. It's
representatives here are avowed So
cialists. The National Board of Farm
Organizations, the National Grange,
the Farmers Union and practically all
the several societies representing the
millions of farmers are aligned
souarely against organized labor in
its final effort to prevent the rail-
roads being returned to private own
ership.
In fact, members from the farm
states say the sentiment of the farm
ers is suuareIy against continuance OF
government operation any longer than
Is absolutely necessary.
ATTETIInE