Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-19
PLOTS
GRIPPING OF
LABOR, CHARGE
Accusation of Vast Plot
Hurled Before Railway
Labor Board.
RELATES CONSPIRACY

CHICAGO, April 15-Organtzed capital
is ION strike" to crush organized labor
and has deliberately planned an era OIL
unemployment, hunger and distress TO
accomplish this purpose, w. Jett Lauck,
economist for the railway employees
charged in a brief presented to the
United States Railway Labor Board TO-
day.
The railway employees played their
card today when Lauck filed his ex-
hibit. entitled Human standards and
railway policy" Lauck charged that
small group of bankers and financiers
control the entire railroad industry and
closely allied industries and that theyN
are in a criminal conspiracy to crush
labor.
Through a vast system of interlocking
directorates, Lauck's brief alleges, the
firm of J. P. Morgan & Co. virtually con-
trolls the entire financial situation as 1t
affects the railroads. Twenty men,
the statement declares, divide 1913 class
one RAILROADS. This coterie of interlock-
ing directors, Lauck alleges, have abso-
lutte control over 211 $50 miles of railroad,
or 50 per cent of the entire railroad sys-s
tenn Of the country.
CHIEF. OFFENDERS
INTERESTS GIVEN.
Roberts Lovett, William Rockefeller, II.
W. Deforest, A. H. Smith, e. f. Baker
and H s. Vanderbilt were named as the
chief offenders. Lovett, it was charged,
is a director Of twelve roads; Rocke-
Teller, Deforest and Smith, Of eleven,
and Baker and Vanderbilt OF ten each.
These directors, 1t was also pointed
out, control twenty-five Of the largest
steel and equipment plants Of the coun-
try in connection with banks and rail-
roads, including the United States Steel
Corporation. Fifty five directors knit if
teen of New York's biggest financial in
stitutiops together and TO the firm OF
J. P. Morgan & Co. 1t was declared
Summarized the charge Of the railway
empIoyes is that a circle Of banks, rail-
roads, cement, steel and other industries
has been welded together into a gigan-
tic conspiracy to control basic materials,
rail transportation and finance and to
beat down labor.
ION STRIKE TILL LABOR
COMES TO ITS KNEES"
The present Industrial situation Of
paralysis which has staggered America"
Lauck's statement declares, us the re-
suit of a strike Of organized capital
against society and capital, nationally
and internationally organized and con-
centrated, which takes the stand capital
shall go on strike until labor comes to
its knees and consents to sweeping res
ductions Of wages and also consents to
surrender its right to bargain collec-
lively on q scale co-extensive with the
organization Of the employees.
This evidence shows that there Is a
capital combine Of the major banks, rail-
roads and industries. controlling basic
~
exercises a power over the economic
destiny Of the United States. This inter-
related capital group deliberately de-
fated' the farmers and then undertook
by precipitating Industrial stagnation to
debate labor.
This evidence shows that within one
and the same identical capitalistic group
lies the power to adjust or misadjust
relative prices IN q manner that viii slim
ulate or suppress industrial activity"
CHALLENGE UNCOMFORTABLE
MISUSE OF POWER.
The railway employees make no issue,
the statement says, Of the pTopriety or
possible necessity of a centralized system
of economic coordination, but they "chal-
lenge the uncomfortable misuse which
this great coordination has made Of It's
power"
"The great national paradox Of the
banking railway industrial combine and
its profits IS thrown into bold relief" the
statement continues. 1.-THE railroads arS~
pleading poverty. The banks ara making
unprecedented profits and declaring IN
Precedented dividends. The Same applies
to steel, COAL railway equipment and
similarly situated concerns.
THE capital combine, in preparing to
precipitate unemployment, adopted q
policy that the railroads should "do It
first" railway Improvement programs
were deferred; hallway. maintenance was
reduced below minimum legal require
ments; kipk WAS put in the purchasing
power of the American people and the
industry was sent head on into stagna.
ton.
THE welfare OF 100000 workers ana
their families totaling another 1900 600
or $1,000, 0O0--nearly one-ffth of our pop
ulatiOn-is at the mercy of those whose
misguided financial policy can plunge
them into unemployment"