The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-03-02
GOVERNMENT RAIL
CONTROL HAS ENDED
CONGRESS- PROVIDES LAW REG
mATING OPERATION. LABOR
OPPOSED MEASURE.

American railroads, after 26
months of government control, dur
inc which time the government suf-
fered a loss of nearly 100000,
were returned to private ownership
Sunday midnight, March LIST, on a
statutory basis established by con-
Dress by the recent passage of the
railroad reorganization bill. The
measure under which the carriers of
the country will seek to adjust them
selves to conditions resulting from
government operation is the result
of more than a year of discussion in
the senate and the house, in which
the Cummins and Esch bills were con-
sidered at great length and then final
n, referred to a conference commit
tee for adjustment. The measure
was bitterly opposed by organized
labor. whose political whip cracked
through the halls of congress dur
ING final consideration of the meas
ura. The effort to defeat the bill
and precipitate an economic crisis,
through failure of legislation, which
would force continuation of govern
ment control, failed. The confer
ence bill was approved by large ma
iorities in both houses of congress.
Railroad labor, following a confer
ence in Washington, decided to ask
II 10
Provisions of the Esch-Cummins
railroad bill guarantee that the lines
never will revert entirely to the old
system of operation in vogue before
the world war. The measure pro-
vides that railroad employees shall
not have their wages reduced before
Sept. I. 1920, and that rates also
shall be- maintained for the same
period. Under the bill as finally pass
ed the Interstate Commerce Com
mission is increased from 9 to IL
members, with its regulatory powers
greatly enlarged and amplltled.
Increase Guaranteed.
One provision stipulates that rates
shall be established that will yield to
the carriers in each rate-maklng
group a net railway operating IN
come of 51s per cent. of the ag-
property value of the ROADS
in that group. Earnings in excess
of six per cent. will be divided equal
lv between each carriers reserve
fund and the federal general rail-
road contingent fund, which will be
by the commission IN
aiding the development of transpor-
tation by loans to carriers and pur-
chase of equipment to be leased TO
carriers.
Under the labor provisions of the
bill a tribunal of nine members
three representing labor, three the
carriers and three the public, will
be created with power to take Juri.ss-
diction of disputes between the rail-
roads and their employees when
threaten interference with interstate
commerce. The bill makes it obliga-
tory on carriers and their employees
to exert reasonable effort to avoid
any interruption of interstate COM
merce.
The fight in both the senate and
the house regarding the railroad re-
organization bill was most bitter.
Labor's Opposition Bitter.
During the hours before the final
vote on the railroad reorganization
bill, labor leaders gathered in Wash
ington and began to show their
teeth" by threats of punishment at
the polls in November for members
of congress who might support the
measure, by threats of strikes and by
other means that we're bitterly crltl~
cized on the floors of congress.