The Washington herald., 1920-02-24
SENATESENDS
RAILWAY BILL
TO PRESIDENT
Conference Repor !
By Al to u After Day
OfDebate.
TOO SWIFT FOR LABOE
Cummins Prompt Actio.
Forestalls Opponents
Plan Of Action.

I NV VI Cohccftco oppOHt
tion OF organized labor, the seuat
Yesterday. by a vote of az 20 1.
adopted the conference report a
the cummins-Esch bnI. thus com
pleting the last necessary act
Congress TO provide for return a
the railroads to their owners.
With labor pressing him 70 ven
It, the measure now goes 20 Pred
dent Wilson for his signature. Tn
President has fixed March 1 ss In
date for the return Of the railroad
to private owners. and this give
him little time TO study the hin n.
fore accepting or rejecting t.
Railroad labor leaders are nos
greatly concerned as to. whethe
they will be able 10 get their oh
jections to the bill 10 the attentjoi
Of the President before he signs a
Presidents View I'm Doubt.
Speculation was rife in the Cant
tai last night. as TO whether IN
President will sign the measure
TINS speculation dealt principsIr
with the determined opposition .
labor. which is nghting the bill b.
cause Of the 5lE per cent guarante
II insures the railroads, and becaus
OF the provision it makes for settle
ment of wage controversies throupf
a labor court.
f, FoIlowing passage OF the CumminS
Esch bill. more than 100 heads Of In
fourteen railroad labor unions. her
to decide on action to gain their war
demands. met last night in specia
session at the headquarters of Tn
American Federation of Labor. Pas
sage of the bill was discussed a
length. and ii is believed that IL wa
tentatively decided 10 address an an
peal TO President Wilson to veto Tn
measure.
1t was declared in an authoritative
quarter last night that the railroad
ci the country shortly after they pas
1 INTO private control will ask for an
viii be grented sn-incrsase OF abou
- per cent n, freight rates.
HNAest HtANtt NtccHA0rT.
The increases in freight charges. .
was said, will be necessary TO NEE
the provision OF the Cummins-EscI
bill guaranteeing a return Of 81 De
cent. Twenty per cent will be IN
! minimum increase, according TO TN
report, while some roads in New Eng.
land will ask for increases up 10
Ter cent IL also was reported tina
passenger fares may be jumped.
The celebrity with which Senate
iCummins. who had charge Of tn
measure. prevailed upon the Senat,
Yesterday 10 act on the railroad bill
caught the forces Of organized labo
mapping. The labor leaders had plan
ned TO hold n series of group meet
InEs 10 lay out a Dian of action q
prevent the conference report on thu
railroad measure from becoming Law
Senator Cummins called up the con
ference report Immediately after fht
Senate had listened to the reading a
Washington farewell address by Sens
tor Pomerene, Of Ohio. The debate RAJ
throughout the day. and the vote wa
not taken until $50 O'Clock last night
GomPers Is Criticized.
Throughout the debate the SO pe
lcent guarantee to the railroads and
the provisions designed 10 prevent
,strikes Of railroad employees We're sub.
ijected TO attack. Also there WAS cTitt.
iCism OF Samuel Gompers aud tn,
American Federation of Labor. and OF
1.-THE policy OF labor in seeking to dc.
feat the bill.
Senator Cummins defended the guar.
ianty provision by saying that il wss
mot a GuarJy at all. but merely "di.
irection'' TO the Interstate Commerce
Commission to adjust the rates 50
that a return OF -. per cent will bs
derived. He said the government doe.
not promise any given net income ts
ANY railway. but that the income de-
lpends on the traffic and The condition.:
under which Il is operated.
Referring to labor's opposition TO the
labor tribunal provided by tho bill
Senator Commins continued:
should Bow 10 Government.
To me il is abhorreut that thu
Judgment Of governmental tri'
bunaI compsed Of fair. high-mindec
men which takes into consideratior
the rights Of men and speaks foI
.the public welfare. can be over
thrown or disregarded by any clas;
lie interest requires the government
to assume jurisdiction over a dis.
pute and to enter it's decree express
ing the right in the matter, all Of
us, no matter how we work. ought
to respect and abide by the deci.
sion The Senate conferees yielded
isimply to supreme necessity. FOR all
recognized that a railroad bill must
be passed before March ]. or chaos
would ensue."
senator Lenroot. Of Wisconsin
said that he opposed the original
labor provisions because he thought
they were wrong. but would vote
fer the bill. although this might put
him on the labor blacklist"
Opposing the bill, Senator Nickel.
liar. Of Tennessee, said that it's pas
sage would increase the value OF all
} railroad stocks, not because they
were worth more, but because the
bill puts the government behind
them to make their wildcat issuei
good"