The Mena weekly star., 1920-01-01
R.R. MEN TO FIGHT
 ANTI-S1R|KE PLAN
Heads of Brotherhoods and Shop Trades Will Give Opinion of Cum mins and Esch Bills-COnfer
 With Gompers.

Washington. Dec. 27.-The attitude of the organized railway employees toward the anti-strike provision of the Cummins railroad bill will be for mally stated in a declaration of prin- ciples to be drafted at a conference of heads of all the brotherhoods here on Monday with President Gompers of the American Federation of Labor.
 Labor leaders said today that moth ing drastic was to be expected" but the general view among organized workers was that affiliated trades would stand by the railway machin- ists' union, which voted to quit work if Congress enacted the anti-strike provision.
 Expect Presidential Veto.
 Senators and representatives now in Washington exprest the opinion, row ever, that the house would not accept the bill as it came from the senate and that, even if it should pass, Pres ident Wilson would veto it.
 The possibility of presidential ve- to has been given serious considera- tion by members of congress, who realize the necessity of enacting prop CT legislation before the roads are handed back to their owners on March n. Labor leaders in discussing this eventualty also called attention today to this statement by the President in his message to Congress four weeks ago:
 "The right of individuals to strike is inviolate and ought not to be inter fered with by any process of govern ment. but there is a predominate right of the government to protect all of it's people and to assert it's power and majesty against the challenge of any class"
 Presidents Thought Not Clear.
 This one sentence was variously in- terpreted-by brotherhood officers as a virtual announcement by the Presi- dent that he would not sign bill de- nying the right to strike-and by Sen ator Cummins and others as a notice by the President that even if the right to strike was inviolate the rights of the public stood over and above it.
 Regardless of what action might be taken by the brotherhoods the belief prevailed in congressional circles that when senate and house conferees got thru with the Cummins and Esch bills no vestige of the anti-strike section would remain. The conferees will be- gin work next week after Senator Cummins and Senator Kellogg, Re publican, Minnesota, return here from North Carolina.
 All of the senate conferees voted for the labor clause and are expected to make hard fight in conference for its retention. On straight senate test an amendment to eliminate the section was defeated, 39 to 34. Some idea of the attitude of the house, how ever, was given today by members who said the anti strike clause could not command fifty votes in that body
 Slow Progress on Bill.
 Altho every effort will be made to expedite railroad legislation, some doubt was exprest today whether the Esch and Cummins bills could be cut to pieces and put together again by the time set for the end of federal control of the roads. Meanwhile great pressure is being brought to bear on members of the senate and house to speed up work, but there is little hope of getting the bill out of conference before the end of January.