The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-04-28
G, ], MhCeOWAN
RAPS GRAHAM.
ON RAIL BILL
SAYS Labor VIII Continue Fight Oh
Esch-C unnins Measure and
Those Who Supported.

Cn2IleS j. M6CJOWdu VI lAAS
city, general organizer Of the
American Federation of Labor, to-
day made public the following let
ter addressed to Congressman Will
liam J. Graham at Washington:
My Dear Mr.. Graham:
In the issue of The Rock Island
Argus, under date Of March Is. l
read with considerable interest and
not a little surprise your letter
under date of March 10. addressed
to o. c. Hickman, Rock Island, ILL.,.
in which you explain your vote on
the railroad bill, and l cannot help
but call your attention not only to
some of the matters contained in
your communication, but also to
the omission of several facts deal
ing with this entire question. These
omissions, l am going to assume.
were entirely unintentional on your
part. However, they have consid-
cradle bearing upon the whole rail-
road question, consequently ! feel
at liberty to make mention of them.
| At the outset ] cannot help but
declare, in accord with the declar-
ations OF the American Federation
of Labor. the railroad brother
hoods and \the progressive farm
organizations of the country. that
this measure was the first measure
in many years in which the issue
was clean-cut between the inter-
ests of capital on the one hand and
the interests Of the great mass of
our people on the other hand. and
cannot help but feel that every
member of congress who voted for
the adoption of the conference re-
port cast vote for the further
entrenchment of special privilege.
Now, among other things stated
in your communication is a state
ment made by you that you do not
believe, nor have you ever believ-
ed, that it was necessary or advis-
able for the government to take
over the operation of the railroads
I cannot help but feel, Mr.. Ora
ham, that if this statement reflects
your firm conviction on this mat
ter, that you have not been inform.
ed on the question. because it is q
/ we'll known fact that the transpor-
tation systems of the United States
during the late months of 1917 com
pletely broke down and failed in
their purpose, and there is nc
doub in the minds OF the Ameri.
can people that had the govern.
ment failed to take over the trans
portation systems at the time il
did, certain and Inevitable defea
of the allied cause would have beer
the result, and for proof of this
refer you to the records of the
railroad administration.
Object to Win War.
You state further that govern
ment operation resulted in the tire
mendous expenditure of money OF
the part of the government to op
crate these properties. While thai
is true. yet in the first instance the
expenditure Of money to secure eff
f1cient operation Of the railroads Al
| that particular time was no object
| The principal thing was to win the
war, and it is well known that The
officials of the railroad companie:
kept this fact we'll in mind.
Further on you state, in refer.
ence to legislation, that you have
no doubt but that the Legislation
was necessary in order to keep tn.
railroads running after March
ana while l cannot agree with you
opinion on this matter, neverthe
less l realize it is debatabk
question. However. there can b.
absolutely no question about tn,
fact that congress had almost fit
teen months in which to thorough
ly investigate and provide prope
legislation for the railroads OF tn,
United States without waiting unit
the 18th hour, and then, in almos
indecent haste, thrusting the Esch
Cummins bill upon the people o
this country and making it appea
that they were forced to do so b,
the action Of the president in pro
claiming that federal control woul,
end March l, 1920.
Further on in your letter | wan
to call your especial attention t,
this statement: The effort of or
ganized labor and the railroa,
d. brotherhoods was to defeat tn
anti-strike clause of this bill.
Now cannot escape the conviction
that you have not acquainted your
self with the position that labo
! took on this question. Not alon,
were we coa.ending for the elm
nation of the anti-strike legisla
ton, but We were equally insisten
that no subsidy be given the rail
reads upon their return, and OF
both questions we worked in com
plete harmony with the farm or
CARNATIONS.
Provisions Compulsory.
Again, YOU state that a board i
created under the Esch-Cummin
bill providing for voluntary arbi
tration by commission compose,
of representatives OF the public, tn
| A0AiA CeAu Sl1piSsOo clAu TIC Idtll Od
management. In the first place
labor has declared, and will con
tinue to maintain, the position tina
the labor provisions of this bill ar
not voluntary. but are compulsor
in the sense that they are subjec
to construction by the courts an
under the language the courts ca
only declare that title 3 of the BIT
is compulsory arbitration in tn
final analysis and no better evi
dence of this is required than tn
Telegram attributed to have bee
sent by Mr.. Thorn. counsel for tn
railroad executives committee, I
that committee, in which he sal
that this bill was an improvement
over the original Cummins bill, be
Hi Too D1nuAu of IT,