Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-23
MEASURE WILL Be
RUSHED THROUGH
Leaders Believe 1t Will Be
Accorded an Overwhelming
Vote.
UNION HOLDS SESSION
Discuss Presidents Proposal for
Settlement of Wage
Grievances.
LRy Associated press 4

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.--Final fight
on the railroad bill. ten months in the
making, will shift tomorrow 10 the
senate, with leaders predicting It's
speedy enactment by an overwhelming
vote.
The conference report, a compromise
whipped together from the funda-
mentals Of the Cummins and Esch bills
fresh from the House with a clean
margin Of 90 votes, will be laid before
the Senate Immediately after the read
Ing of WashiHgton's Farewell Address.
1t Will have the right of way over the
peace treaty and all other measures,
and while the Senate works according
to It's own fancy. 1t could concur with
s,aes the lower branch in half an hour or
o%ds % until March l, the date fixed by
PRESIDENT Wilson for return of tho
roads to private control.
But having come through the House
admittedly the danger point In the
view OF advocates of the measure, tho
night. was that no serious Opposition
would develop and that the Law under
which the roads Will attempt g work
out their own salvation after the long
period of Federal control would be i'm
the hands of the President by the mid
die of the week. -
Consider Presidents Offer. ~
IMPORTANT
legislation. there was wide discussion
today over the possibility of the wreck
Ing of the bill by presidential veto,
interest in the meeting here tomorrow
OF the general committeeman of all
the railway labor organizations to dis
tlement Of wage grievances The data
OF the conference had no direct bear
eans on tne plan Of sHnasor
Eanized labor made Its fight lnS the
House with varying success, accord:
for and against adoption Of the COM.
promise measure. : ,',jjN
The statement by Representative.
who voted against the Bill, that labor
leaders had estranged at least a dozen
6efpr,eShentatiyss re ,a hn, was met by the claim
against the measure. would not haSe
Sesn polled except for their fight in
SnIon Sehaf Sdsts H6 EaiiwSg Wb,s employees and
much talk about further efforts de-
signed to reach the Senate, there were
hoped o ndtearons to swnH that organized labor
OIL defeating all railroad legislation.
Refuse to Discuss Veto:
Few members OF the Senate or House
Were thnt VI wiling I to 60 so far as to predict
connection statements made durns
debate yesterday that failure to enact
legislation s before March would put
months and bring on financial distress
more serious than any experienced in
years: were on many tongues It was
largely because Of this view, expresseil
Gy by ieading Democrats and Chairman
mittee, who has worked with and silent
on the railroad bin since last May, that
NOBODY, apparently. was disposed to
fuse to sign 1t. 6E7is
There was no doubt that the big
DemocTatic vote cast. against the bill
In the House was a surprise to Repub-
iican leaders and even TO many Demo
Gratis, who had preached that in fran.
ing railway reorganization legisiationf
parnt,hsnnship nha should not figure.
when the conference report is pre-
sented to the Senate tomorrow Sena-
tor Cummns., chairman of the confer
ence. VIII make brief statement and
urge prompt consideration Senator
Robinson, Democrat, of Arkansas. also
a conieree. VIII discuss it. and un-
less there Is an unexpected flow OF
speech making leaders said tonight
the vote would be swift and certain"