The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-02-07
No Nearer Solution Than Before.

bill. Since they are seemingly in not
= hurry to make a report it. is b. very,
natural assumption that they are a
trifle timorous in inviting a nation
wide outburst Of disapprobation.
Cun.mins Is Stubborn.
Their difficulties have been aggra-
waited by the obstinacy of Senator
Cummins and the Unsuitable rapacity
of the railroad lobby. The former
is unbending in his demand that the
anti-strike clause of his measure be
retained in the final draft, because he
considers it important that the rail
workers shall not be in position to
make effective protest if the rail-
road managers inaugurate general
wage reductions under the specious
guise of ''retrenchment," as they have
threatened to do if the railroads are
returned to private control.
Many of the executives of the east
ern railroads resent the liberal treat
ment Of workers during the period of
federal control as RESPECTS their right
to organize and bargain collectively
A determined and systematic effort
will be made to disrupt the powerful
organizations built up during the past
two years. Naturally. the workers
will not be disposed to remain patient
and calm while their interests are
being attacked and destroyed. This
is the inspiration of the anti-strike
provision to which Senator Cummins
clings to tenaciously.
The railroads. too, want more than
they are entitled to receive, and much
more than they will get if congress
Is responsive to popular demand.
Will Commit Suicide.
8 prominent western senator had
admitted in confidence to his COL
leagues that any party that accedes
to the demands of the railroad lobby
is committing suicide. There may be
a division Of opinion as to the ad-
visibility and the practicability of re-
tanning the roads under federal con-
z troll for two years, but there is none
respecting the demand Of the rail-
roads for a colossal subsidy of nearly
$4,000, 100000, which they seek when
they ask that amount of fraudulent
stock be validated and made source
of perpetual taxation, nor as to the
revolving fund which Senator Sher-
man has so aptly described as wan
: ish1ng" fund, and which will cost the
people $500,0o0,ooO; nor as to an in
crease of transportation charges of
at least rs per cent, which will i'm
pose an additional consumption cost
Of nearly $4,000, 900: nor as to the
continuation of the guaranteed re-
turn, which Senator Curnmins, solicit
tous as he is for the interests of the
railroad group, has described as 80
:. 'arge that it shocks the moral sense
IT mankind" f
few months ago congress >blithely
) set out to give the railroads every
] thing they wanted. They rather fatu-
i ously imagined that tho fake propa-
. ganda of the railway executives had
& lulled the public to sleep and that it
E would be safe to turn the government
over to a greedy Wall street group
before the people were aroused to
i what was impending. But now even
& the most callous lawmakers realize
the menace of openly arousing an
: outraged nation. and that is why the
conference committed hesitates to
substitute railroad control of the gov
y ernment for federal control of the
Il railroads f M%,-.. u