Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-02-27
House and Senate Override De-
mands of the Union Labor
Leaders.
PRESIDENTS 0. K. ASSURED
Forces of Organized Workers Caugh.
Mapping by CELEBRITY With Which
Chairman cummins Forced
Measure Through Senate.

Washington, Feb. 24-organized la
Dor lost its fight TO defeat the railroad
bill when the house. after a tive-hour
debate. adopted the conference report
on the measure by majority OF loo
votes.
The yeas were $50. nays 100. with
one member present" Previously >
motion TO recommit the bill. made ~
Representative Barkley of KentucSy,
was defeated by vote of III TO 220.
The president viii have several days
to act on the bill before the railroads
go back to their owners March ! under
the proclamation issued some time
ago.
Republican Floor Leader Mondeil
made the final appeal for the confer
ence agreement, and the result showed
nearly all the majority party members
In line. Representative Esch Of Wis
consin, chairman of the committee on
Interstate and foreign commerce and
author of the original house bill, led
the forces favoring the report. Champ
Clark, minority leader, was not pres
ent Representative KitchIn of North
Carolina. former party leader. was
among those attacking the bill
Most of the opposition to the bill
was based on the financial and labor
provisions. Representative Sims of
Tennessee. In charge of the fight
against the measure. and Representa-
tive Barkley. the two conferees refus-
ing to sign the conference report. dealt
chiefly with the Snaucial features. par
ticularly the provision for rates civ
ing an average return of 5k per cent
by groups of roads.
Most Of the middle Western meDi-
bers voted for the hill Illinois. how
ever furnished eight opposing votes
Wisconsin six. Michigan four. and
Minnesota three. There were no
negative votes cast In the Iowa or In
diana delegations.
The last act of legislation required
of congress to provide for the return
of the railroads to their owners was
completed when the senate. voting AZ
to II, adopted the conference report
on the Cummins- -Esch bill. Three Re
publicans and fourteen Democrats op-
posed the act.
The bin having been previously ap-
proved by the house now goes to the
president for his signature. With
March | fixed as the date for the re-
turn of the roads. the time allowed
for the president to study the meas
ure. is extremely short
Throughout the debate the provi-
sions most subjected to attack and
criticism were those providing for the
5ha per cent guaranty and the re-
strictions designed TO prevent strikes
on the part of the railway employees
There was also general crit ism of
Samuel GOmpers and the American
Federation and of the policy of the or
ganization In seeking to prevent the
enactment Of the bin.
Senator Cummins defended the guar
anty provision by saying that il was
not a guaranty at all. but merely
direction" to the interstate commerce
commission to adjust the rates so that
return of 5h per cent shall be de
rived.
Senator Robinson (Dem.), Arkan.
sas, one of the conferees, said: "The
labor provisions, fairly construed. do
not justify the assaults made upon
them. This Is not a government OF
labor organizations. 1t must not be
perverted In character so as TO be-
come the means Of denying right of
justice to any class Of law-abiding
citizens"
Referring to the labor board provid-
ed for In the bill. he said:
"1t is astonishing that the labor or
ganizations should assume the position
that wage demands cannot fairly be
determined by any tribunal which hu-
man wisdom can conceive. or which
American craftsmanship may devise -