New-York tribune., 1920-02-22
FF1BRUA AIRY ~, 1870
snce directed, % it will be, by the deci.
slons Of this railway labor board, Will
result In tho initiation of such dihicul-

s1ons Of this railway labor board, VII
result In tho initiation of such difdcul
ties.
presented fair and just method o.
adjusting and settling labor disputes
Even portion of labor is In favor o.
the s%Rs %Rlsn; mus. pas. .b.. legislation, .,
there will be no legislation tho first da,
Taxing up the b1k per cent net re
turn provision, Mr.. Esch said it was
essential to attract capital for railroad
Investments. He continued;
"Investors want something on which
they can reckon. This gives the stabil
ity. But it does not mean that the
government guarantees 6h per cent
return on the valuation Of tee roads
Tho government does not make good 8
dollar Of deficit. On the other hand. il
takes one-half Of the excess earnings
ever per cent"
Attacks Labor Fight
Representative Sanders, Of Indiana
attacked labor for making what he de-
clared was Q fight to destroy efforts ia
solve the railroad problem.
Labor announced when this legisla-
tion frst was taken up," he said, "that
it was opposed to the anti-strike pro-
vision Of the Senate bill. That was
stricken out In conference. and now
labor comes forward and demands that
we eliminate the meaningless provi-
sions Of this bill that have to do with
the settlement Of their disputes.
Labor 10 only making fight now
for the Plumb plan and government
ownership. Labor Is making delib-
crate, organized attempt to destroy
constructive efforts to solve the rail
road problem"
Representative Pou, Democrat, Of
feat of the bill would result in overn-
ment ownership. "If we don't turn
the roads back March l." said Pou, "it
means ultimate government ownership
Of the railroads, and if we turn them
back on March i, without this legisla-
ton. there will be the worst financial
panic in the history Of the country"
Representative Kitchin. Democrat, of
North Carolina, attacked Samuel Com
pers for having assumed IAN arbitrary,
dictatorial attitude" Mr. .Kitchin,
however, voted against the bill.
Declaring that he was speaking for
100000 railroad workers. Representa-
tive Carrs, Democrat, Of Minnesota,
urged that the conference report be
recommitted and the Anderson amend
ment reinstated or the entire labor
provision be ripped out and thrown
into the waste basket
The brotherhood men, he declared,
do not want any form of class legisla-
ton. "They want only their rights
and justice under the Constitution, v
he added.
Representative Sims, Democrat. of
Tennessee, one of the two dissenting
Democratic conferees, attacked the 51a
per cent ratmaking provision of the
bill as fixing "a minimum wage for the
investing dollar"
He characterized the section of the
bill as "newfangled, socialistic, COM
munistic, capitalistic and nationalistic
legislation"
While it fixes minimum wage for
Wall Street, he continued, it makes no
such concessions to labor or others
than the capitalistic class.
Though the 515 per cent net return
is guaranteed for only two years, he
pointed out, the Interstate Commerce
Commission after that period can fix it
at or per cnt, "and that probably
will be done"
Mr.. Sims urged rejection of the labor
provisions because they "absolutely in
vite, encourage and will bring about
strikes"
The Senate. he asserted, would yield
in five minutes" If the House should
insist on the elimination of the rate
making section.