Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-21
Guarantee Needed
to SdUe Railroads
Continued from Page One


plished for them what Congress never
had done for any other business, "the
fixing of rates which would guarantee
them against the hazards of business.
There is no difference between levy
ing taxes to be turned over to holders
of railroad stocks than in telling the
Interstate Commerce Commission to let
the railways tax the people direct, !"
said Barkley
''The result Of this legislation means
that the American people must pay
SO 800, 200, 900 to the railroads in order
that roads, manipulated by special in
terests. may pay dividends"
Barkley argued that the bill was un-
constitutional. because of the provision
taking half of the excess earnings over
per cent return.
Representative Dewalt declared the
bill provided no guaranty of any amount
to any railroad and he further argued
that the rate making provisions were
constitutional.
Representative Burke, Pennsylvania
attacked the bill as "an insult to mem =
bers of Congress who believe in justice
and square deal for the common
people" He declared it gave the rail-
roads everything they desire"
Representative Mondell. the Republi-
can leader, declared the bills ''funda :
mental and basic soundness is virtually
unanimously admitted" the opposition
to it being considerable difference of
opinion with regard to some of its de-
tails"
Not word of the labor provisions,
Mondell continued, ''can reasonably be
objected to by any reasonable man."
Nh CnarciNv in UiII
''There is not line of coercion or
compulsion in the BILL" he added. "If
the bill has any fault at all it is the
fault of furnishing overelaborate pro-
vision for the submission and cOnsidera =
ton 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
There were demands for vote and
members were leaving the hall. Blanket
leave TO print addresses in the Con
gessional Record was granted.
Representative Sims, of Tennessee, III
charge of the fight on the bill, fixed time
for those desiring to speak and as he
called names on his list without re-
sponse the shout vote, votei" grew
more insistent. Four names were sung
out and nobody replied. .
Then I'll take the floor myself tenn
porarily.' said Sims.
Attacking the labor provisions, Sims
charged "They absolutely invite, en-
courage and will bring out strikes"
Urging rejection of the conference
report, he declared the rate making
plan was 'socialistic, communistic,
capitalistic and nationalistic.
1T is the minimum wage for Wall
street." said he
Representative Sanders, of Indiana,
pointing out that the anti strike pro-
visions had been discarded said the
only labor fight left now was "the fight
for continued government control, gov
ernment ownership or the Plumb plan" :"
Representative Carss, of Minnesota,
voicing the opposition of railway en-
ployes to the bill, asked the elimination
of the labor sections, or the substitution
of the original House plan for voluntary
mediation.
Defending the work of Congress in
framing the railroad legislation, Mr..
Esch said there had been mo Stacking. p"
The conference compromise, he said,
came before the House today, practically
seven months after the committee began
hearings. The compromise bill, he as
serted, was the original House bill,
except one suUStdutiNc plopooiIioh,
by which rate basis is fixed with earn
ings in excess of per cent On railroad
valuation being divided between the
earning carrier and the government for
the latter to use for weak roads.
Mr.. Esch also explained that the
compromise bill "seeks to perpetuate
the operation of the government barge
lines" on the Warrior and Mississippi
rivers and the Erie canal, and contains
provisions designed to insure the sue
cess Of this new venture"
Although the House met unusually
carly to take up the conference report,
there were predictions that the final roll
call might not be reached before or s
O'Clock tonight.