The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-01-22

Il
tolerable, since it would leave part
of the Italian coast exposed to the
same attack as in the late war, but
he believed Great Britain and France
could persuade President Wilson to
change his views.
IN. Clemenceau and Mr.. Lloyd
George told me,". said the foreign min
lister, 'that if France, England and
Italy agreed, even going beyond the
terms of President Wilson, they be-
lieved they could present the agree
ment to President Wilson and induce
him to accept it in the interest of Eu-
r0pean peace"
If the conferees Of the senate and
house do not arrive at satisfac-
tory solution of the railway bill puz-
zle, it will not be for lack of advice,
expert and inexpert. All sorts OF or
CARNATIONS have been taking a whack
at it, and all Of them are directly In
terested. The American Federation
of Labor, the four railway brother
hoods and ten railway shopmen's
unions affiliated with the federation
got together in Washington and told
what they wished, what they hoped
for and what they would not counte-
nance. In the first place. they de-
clared themselves in favor OF two
years more of government operation
of the railways, in order to give the,
principle Of government ownership
real test They realized that the re-
turn of the roads to their owners on
March / is now certainty, but gave
notice that they will make government
ownership a political issue in the fu-
ture. As for the pending legislation,
they declared themselves against the
anti-strike feature and the penalty
provisions against ceasing work, and
in favor of the features which tend to
establish better relations between the
employees and the carriers, and urged
that these features be extended to the
sleeping car and Pullman company
employees. The railway shopmen
already have voted to strike if con-
gress adopts the Cummins anti-strike
provision, and it is believed the broth
erhoods might adopt the same course.
Next, the American Bankers assO-
citation told what it considered neces-
sary to rehabilitate the impaired cred
1t of the roads. 1t favors the speedy
return to private ownership; the vol
untary but not compulsory consolida-
ton of railroad properties; permissive
federal Incorporation; exclusive regu-
lation and control Of the issue of
stocks and bonds by railroads and wa
ter common carriers by federal
board; government guarantee to the
roads for six months after the end of
federal control, of net operating in
come equal to the standard return for
the same period during federal con-
troll: and an extension of the carriers
indebtedness to the government for
capital expenses to run serially for
from ten to twenty years. All these
features are in either the Cummins or
the Esch bill, and some of them are
in both.
Another group vitality interested in
the railway legislation is the ship
pers, and these gentlemen, at nation
al conference in Chicago, besides rec
ommending higher rates for the roads,
adopted resolutions in substance as
follows:
eve are opposed to the creation of
transportation board as provided in
the Cummins bill.
"We oppose the appropriation by the
government Of the excess earnings of
railroad company
1--WE oppose the scheme OF ratemak-
ing groups and Standardization of
earnings therein as provided for in the
Cummins bill.
"We are opposed to the. consolida-
ton Of the railroads and the division
of the country into rate groups as pro-
vided in the Cummins bill.
1--WE are in favor of legislation
which will permit the return of the
action become necessary. 1t is be-