The Washington herald., 1920-12-17
Opposed by Labor, Meas
ure Adopted Without
Heed. =
ONLY SIX PRESENT
AS ROLL is CALLED
LaEollette Serves Notice
He Will Ask for Re-
consideration.
By ROBERT BARRY.

Labor's friends were caught nap
ping yesterday in the Senate. They
were sound asleep when the read
ing clerk. treating the measure
with the Difference accorded a
bridge bill. reached the Poindexter
anti-strike bill. The Senate did
likewise. The bill was not dis
cussed. It passed without a single
voice being raised in opposition.
/ The sponsors of the legislation
were attending to business. The
opponents were not
There was great agitation last
night in labor circles in and out OF
Congress. Passage Of the Poin-
dexter bill by so easy a route was
! an accident. Senators were at lunch
or in committees or in their ofhces
or somewhere. They were not on
dozen were present. And legisia-
! tion that all but wrecked the Cum
( Minis Esch transportation act sliB-
| ped through with the facility OF
an innocuous private bill. Senator
Miles w. PoindeXter. OF Washing
| ton. was guilty Of no impropriety.
! He had not sought TO take advan-
| tage of his colleagues
La Toilette Protests
Senator Robert NJ. La Toilette, Re-
publican. of Wisconsin, was the hrst
friend CT labor" to become indig-
nant. He stzIked into the Senate
and protested against such action In
| his absence. There was nothing
to be done. except for him TO under
take 10 undo an official act Of the
/ Senate He tried TO move a recon
sideration OF the vote by which the
1 PoindeNter bill was passed. Senator
] Joseph l. France, Republican. OF
Maryland. a friend of labor. had
moved the consideration OF the ma
ternity bill. He objected TO Mr.. La
Toilette taking him on his feet
| with the motion TO reconsider the
| anti-Strike bill vote. IL was not
that Mr.. France loved the RAILROAD
workers less, but that he loved the
l mothers bill more. Mr.. La Toilette
served notice he would move q re-
\ consideration. There - some doubt
as to whether a Senator not recorded
in favor Of a bill could move It's
reconsideration. The whole thing
I will be fought out on the floor to-
/ day or Saturday. Judging from the
/ temperature AROUND American Fed
Grafton of Labor's temple tonight
postponement until Saturday would
not be approved.
! BIZ d, Drastic.
J The Poindexter bill is the most
/ drastic of all snti-strike legislation
ever put up to Congress. II deals
with railroad workers. It is strong
er than the provisions of the orig
linal Cummins railroad bill. which
the Senate approved by the narrow
est of margins last March. Senator
Albert b. Cummins, Of Iowa yielded
to the House in the matter OF anti
strike legislation in order TO obtain
some sort Of a bill by March i, the
date ffxed by President Wilson Tor
return of the railroads TO private
control and operation. The anti
4 strike sectiors were so drastic that
Samuel Gompers declared they vio-
lated the constitutional guarantees
against Involuntary seryjtude. lie
went so far as TO state ne, himself.
would violate such law were II
kenacted. other labor chiefs pre-
ldicted a general transportation tie
up in protest The Poindexter bin
seeks to do by special legislation
what the advocates OF compulsory
arbitration we're unable TO do in the
lCummins- Esch transportation act.
THE House is antagonistic TO such
LEGISLATION. but even that did not
allay the wrath OF labor leaders and
lIebor's friends in the Senate against
such a legislative expression at this
time.
The Poindextcr bill applies the
principle OF compulsory arbitration
to railroad executives and railroad
lemployes alike. but organized labor
ldenounces the legislation as equivs-
ilent TO the enslavement OF labor.
Thomas Attacks Grace.
Passage Of the Poindexter bill by
the Senate was followed by a dis
cussion of the statements by Eugene
Grace. president of the Bethlehem
Steel Company. in New York yes
lterday, to the effect that steel cor
porations had declined to sell steel
to contractors who did not support
the open shop" A severe attack
upon Mr.. Grace was expressed by
senator Charles s. Thomas, Dem
ocrat, of Colorado, himself
vigorous critic of organized labor
and an advocate Of the open shop"
The discussion was prompted by
motion by Senator William NJ
lCalder, of New York, chairman OF
the Senate Committee on Recon-
struction, for appointment Of coun-
sci to aid the committee In its In
louiries TO determine whether the
} disclosures by the New York legfs-
lative committee might not be
duplicated in a national way. Ap-
pointment of an attorney was su-
lthorized by the Senate.
The New York committee" SEN
ator Thomas said. has disclosed the
existence Of one OF two ironciao
lcombinstions or eonspiracies against
trade and against social and eco
nomic conditions that may surprise
some, but which seems to me 60
be the direct outgrowth Of the tea
ldsncies of the times. The remark
liable and startling fact disclosed "
THAT committee Is that this combi-
nation is not peculiar to New York
There seems TO be In every city
sufficiently large 10 justify Il. q
similar coalition between q few
Owners OF certain classes Of mate
rial. a few building concerns and
few labor unions-snd the corncf-
nation enables the benehcbsries q
II 10 work their win in every com