The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-02-21
HOUSE NEARS
.VOTEONR.R BILL.
Burke Attacks Measure as In
suit to Members of Congress
Who Believe in Justice.
SIMS LEADS FIGHT
AS Names of Speakers Are
Called Other Members
Cry, vote! Vote |"
(BY j. BARI CAMPRELL.l

so the conference report on the
Esch- Cummins bill to govern the re-
turn of the railroads to private
ownership on March l was expected
to be passed by the house late this
afternoon.
Labor leaders ana government
| ownership advocates opposed to the
compromise measure admitted there
was scant prospect of preventing
| the house from adopting the confer
ence report embodied in the bill.
In the conclusion of the debate, IT
was agreed vote should be taken
| to decide whether the report be
| adopted or recommitted to confer
ence with recommendations that il
be further amended. A final vote was
| expected about 6 o'clock.
| Adoption of the conference re-
| port by the house would pass it on
to the senate, where republican lead
ors are already prepared to also jam
it through.
| Republican leaders of the senate
as we'll of the house are making the
| prediction that the bill will be on
it's way to the president by the mid
| lie of next week.
I Although the house met unusually
| early to take up the conference re-
| port, proceedings got off to a slow
start. Representative Gard, demo-
Crat, Ohio, demanded a quorum and
| Representative Mann, republican, Il
linois, blocked Representative Esch's S
request to dispense with formal read =
| ing OF the long report. Because OF
klnis delay there were predictions
| that the final roll call might not be
| reached before Z or o'clock tonight
Railroad administration estimates
place the net cost to the government
Of federal control of the railroads at
| 636,0Q0,000, Chairman Esch, of the
Interstate commerce committee, told
the house today.
Charged as War Loss.
This $636,000,000 will have to be
charged off as a war loss" he said.
One may say it was expensive, but
it was worth the price Without
he railroads transportations would
have failed to supply our troops
overseas"
Total appropriations of approx
mately $1,000. 100000, including those
iriready made, We're the ''eKperienee
Of federal control" Mr.. Esch said
|Dlbls ne huuGQ Illtil VI ttASSt
Approximately $1,250,000,000 were
Investments" in the form of i'm
pruVements made for the roads and
Tor which they ultimately will pay
Defending the work Of congress in
framing the railroad legislation, Mr.
Esch said there had been mo slack
ing" The conference compromise,
he said, came before the house today
practically seven months after the
committee began hearing.
Calls Bill an Insult.
Representative Burke, republican,
h psnnsylvania, attacked the bill as
h 'Eih insult to members of congress
who believe in justice and a square
deal for the common people" He de-
clared it gave the railroads every
thing they desire"
Representative Mondell, the repub-
|Gtcan leader, declared the bills
| fundamental and basic soundness is
practically unanimously admitted,
the opposition to it being consider
able difference of opinion with re-
card to some of it's details. mot a
word of labor provisions" Mondellt
continued, "can reasonably be OBJ
iected to by any reasonable man."
There is not a line of coercion or
compulsion in the bill" he added. "lt
the bill has any faults at all it is the
fault of furnishing over elaborate
provision for the submission and
Consideration of labor questions, but
no man is required to either submit
his grievances to or be controlled by
the decisions of the agencies which
are provided"
mo man can afford to vote against
This conference report except the
man, If any such there be, who is SO
enamored of public ownership that
be is wiling to invite nationwide dis
uess and disaster, beginning the
flrst of March, in the vain hope that
out of the wreck will come govern
ment ownership"
There were insistent demands for
vote on the bill after delivery of
the principal speeches and while
time was being allotted speakers in
three and tive-minute patches,
"A eanwhile members were piling out
and there was barely a quorum in
attendance.
! Blanket leave to print addresses
n the Congressional Record was
granted.
Ia Shout "Vote, Vote!"
Representative SllnSt uelOCIdli
Tennessee, in charge OF the fight on
the bill, fixed time for those desir-
hing to speak, and as he called names
on his list without response the
shout Vote, vote!" grew more in
Nstent. -Four names were sung out
and nobody replied.
Then I'll take the floor myself
temporarily" said Mr. Sims, and
turning to the chair said, please cal
me ia fifteen minutes"
Attack Labor Clause.
Attacking the labor provision. Mr.
sims charged they absolutely invite
encourage and will bring aut strikes.
He urged that the labor section, II IN
cluded. should have some persuasive
power against striking declaring the
railroads could ignore DEGREES Tor sct-
tling disputes.
When his hfteen minutes expired. Mr
Sims continued his address saying
other orators were absent from The
ioor.
Urging election Of the report. he de-
clared the rate-making plan vas So
eialistic communists, capitalisuc and
uatloualistic " 1t is the minimum wage
Tor wall street. said he.
DEMAND APPROPRIATION.
Within a few days demand VIII ot
made on congress for s64o.ooO OO'
for the railroad by Director Genera
Hines, It was announced BY RePresen'
tatiVe Eseh.
Representative Crisp. democrat
n orCia. declaring his support for th'
biU. said 81 contained nothing uuiail
10 labor. rut that labor would oppos'