Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-04-19
SAYS CAPITAL COMBINE IS
FORCING TRADE STAGNAT|ON
Labor Economist Charges United
Effort TO Force DOtUn Pay
Of The Workers

United States, and the employees
specifically point out that this res
possibility Is being unscrupuousIy
evaded.
"The railroads are pleading pow
erty. The banks are making unpre-
cedented profits and declaring IN
precedentaed dividends and the same
applies to steel coal, railway equip
ment and similarly situated con-
Germs. The capital combine, in pre-
pairing to precipitate unemployment,
adopted the policy that the railroads
should do it first Railway improve
ment programs were deferred; rail-
way maintenance was reduced be-
low minimum legal requirement.
THE report brings into clear re-
lief the fact that there il no founda-
ton for opinion which the employ
ers' publicity machinery would pop
pularize that the railways and the
other great industries are the vict-
inns of some misfortune Of the times.
"The industrial paralysis which
has staggered America II capital on
strike against society. And capital
nationally and internationally organ
ized and concentrated, takes the
stand that the capital strike shall
90 on until labor comes 10 its knees
and consents to sweeping reductions
Of wages, and also consents TO sur
render its right 10 bargain collective
ly on a scale co extensive with the
organization of the employers"
Taking up first the lay off charges
the report presented by Mr.. Lauck
said the Railroad shop layoffs. in
complete, in the past nine months
were more than 100000.
A letter from Ration, New Mexico
Of March 1 last, charged that on
the Santa Fe, in January, after six
machinists had been laid off, the re-
naming machinests were worked
overtime 1916 hours in that month.
Examples of what the report call
ed "the lay-off policy" were instanc-
ed from Indianapolis. Los Angeles.
Nashville, 0swego. y. Y. Horton,
Kan Du Buois, Pa. and Ottumwa,
la.
A report from Oswego, y. Y.
charged that I'm March 1919 the
shop here was full Of steel flat cars
(that was under government con
troll and the foreman only had
about "a men cutting them down
The rest Of the men were walking
about doing nothing at all and
drawing their pay, but there was no
lay off then. The government was
paying for it, and not the ~. N. C.
Now we have all kinds Of work and
we are laid off"
Ii was charged that in January nc
Winston Salem foreman on tho
Norfolk and Western was caught
pulling tags off bad order cars.
while at Bluefield on the same line
foremen were alleged 10 have orders
not to have defective equipment re-
paired.
An Eckman W. Va letter from N
railroad worker read: THERE'S rul-
led out Of here every day cars with
no brakes M all"
The report carried statement
charging the Baltimore 4 Ohio Rail.
road Company laying off car me-
chanicS while cars are deliberately
run with cracked plates. cracked
wheels. broken truck frames" and
II other specific kinds Of breaks.
"By far the most illuminating
fact" said the report, ''in any at
tempt TO estimate that lies back Of
these railroad layoffs, Is the fact
that practically all Of the larger sys-
TENS have been contracting with
outside concerns for repair oe
hundreds Of locomotives and thous-
ands Of freight cars which would
ncrmally be repaired in their own
stops and yards" A list of alleged
outside repair jobs was included.