Evening star., 1920-02-20
UNION LABOR PLANS
TO OMAKE HOT FIGHT
ON RAILROAD BILL
Declares Redrafted Measure
for Reorganization ImperiIs
Rights of Employees.

| Union labor, led by officers of the
American Federation of Labor and
the railroad brotherhoods, today had
well under way it's fight in Congress
against the adoption of the redrafted
railroad reorganization bill. Besides
| the memorial prepared by representa-
tives of fifteen railroad unions and
| federation officers at an all-day con-
ference yesterday, and which was ad-
dressed to Congress as a whole, indi-
vidual congressman were deluged to-
| day by letters and kilograms from
union leaders generally protesting
tagainst enactment of the bill into
| law.
The plan of the unions. it was
shown. provides first for determined
fight in the House and Senate. If
| defeated there the controversy Will
be taken direct to President Wilson
| in the hope of a veto. The opposition
| of the unions, as shown in the memo
rial to Congress declaring the redratt-
ed bill to be destructive of the en-
ploy s. constitutional privileges and
liberties, is based chiefly on the meth.
cd proposed for handling wage and
labor disputes.
Financial Provision Attacked.
! The provision for a fixed financiai
return to holders of railroad securi-
F, ties also is attacked, the menorlai
holding that the provision would con-
stitute IAN abandonment OF govern
! ment for the common good, the estap-
llishment of government for private
interest. special privilege and class
| benefit"
| Principal objection to the labor ar
| bitration clause is based on the man.
ner in which the special arbitration
| boards would be constituted and the
manner of their operation. Union lead
| ers contend that the arbitratlon
boards, including the permanent fed-
| eral board of nine members, might De
| so composed as to eliminate labor
from representation. The method pro-
posed of adjudicating labor disputes
by groups of not less than 100 em-
ployes, the leaders declared. wouid
1 destroy all discipline and LEAD TO
the workers to disregard existing
agreements and long-established, or
derly methods of procedure.
| See AnnuIment of Agreements.
The union officials, as set forth in
! the memorial, see in the bill de
| termination to annul existing agree
ments and destroy the organizations
| which negotiated them.' and voice
| strongly their opposition to the provi-
sion that would make ineligible for
| appointment to the labor board any
! person connected with an organiza-
| tion of employees. The provision, they
| point out, would result in forcing men
| ''long trained in labor union work to
relinQuish associations of many years
| to accept such a position.
Representntive Barkley's Views.
Representative Barkley, democrat,
of Kentucky, who with Representa-
tive Sims, democrat, of Tennessee, is
expected to lead the fight against the
measure on the floor of the House. late
| yesterday filed a statement of the
reasons why he refused to approve the
| conference compromise bill. He at
| tackled the measure as comforting
| financial favors' on the carriers that
| would force increased rates aggre-
eating one and quarter billion dol
|! lars and add to the cost of living gen.
| orally.
| Despite opposition within and that
| from the labor unions, members of the
! House predicted today only a few
days would be required to pass the
bill. Senate consideration of the
measure will not begin until after the
House has acted.