Evening star., 1924-05-04
RAIL LABOR MEASURE
IN HOUSE TOMORROW
Strong Opposition to Howell
Barkley Bill Is
Voiced.
SEEN AS EXPENSIVE PLAN
Labor Leaders Charged With
Jamming Measure
Through.
EEN AS EXPENSIVE PLAN

The Railroad Labor Board fight
comes to a head in the House tomor-
row. During the past week there
has been Il Neritable barrage of Wig
orOus speeches. for the most part in
opposition to this measure, made by
members of the committee on inter
state and foreign commerce and other
House leaders
This measure comes before the
House tomorrow through Il notion to
discharge the interstate and foreign
commerce committee from conSdera-
tion of the Howell BarkIey bill, sig
natures Of $50 members having been
secured under the new rule of the
House
Extensive hearings on this meas
ure have been held before the Senate
subcommittee. consisting of Senators
Couzens, Gooding and Dill, at which
the most prominent railway eXecu-
tiVeS in the country, including Hale
Holden, chairman of the executive
committee of the Association Of Rail
way Executives: Carl Gray. president
of the Union Pacific. a member of the
United States Railroad Administration
during the war: Daniel Willard.
president of the Baltimore and ohio,
and John 6. Walber. chairman of the
subcommittee of the advisory COM
mittee on operation of the ASsocia-
president of the New York Central,
strongly opposed the proposed legiS-
1ation
Among those who spoke against
this bill in the House during the
past week were Representative j. n.
fipcher of Kansas, member of the
Republican steering committee. who
denounced it as the back-t to the
strike bill; Representative Samuel
T.. WinSloW of Massachusetts, chair
nf t.
tee; Representative Edward f. Deni-
son of Illinois; Representative Everett
sanders of Indiana: Representative
Carl +. Mapes OF Michigan and Repre-
sentative Harry Il. HaWes Of Missouri,
all members of the committee.
Special Privilege. .
In these speeches it was claimed
that an effort is being made by labor
leaders to jam this legislation
through the House. a demand was
that other important bills had pre-
"edence on the committee docket. this
measure should be given special
privilege.
TO repeal the labor sections of the
transportation act. and to substitute
L method OF dealing with labor dis
puteS which il is claimed would
ignort public interest in the settle
ment Of wage disputes on the rail-
roads, Wiping out the policy laid
down in the Esch-Cummins act by
which the public has representatives
on the labor board 10 look after the
public interests.
Warming Was given by John c.
Walber that this bill would mean
closed shop on the railway. as the
bill specifically provides that control
OF the national boards of adjustment,
in the hands of the national union,
thus ignoring the many independent
unions that have resulted from shop
mems strike Of 1922.
Few Members.
Mf Walber submitted figures to
show that only about 81 per cent of
the Shopcrafts employees on the east
ern railroads are members Of the ma
tional organizations and only about
80 per cent of the maintenance Of
way employees. Signal men represent
about 90 per cent and diSpatchers
33 PER cent and telegraphers II per
cent. he testified. In the marine de-
partmont only per cent are men,
bers of the organization supporting
the bill.
ON the western railroads out of
reaTly 10000 shopcraft employees
only 30,410. or 17.6 per cent, are men,
bers of the national organization.
1t was argued especially by Rep
reaentative Sanders and Representa-
tive Mapos that the cost of admins
tering the Howell Barkley bill would
be greatly in excess Of the cost under
the Labor Board provisions.
Speeches made on the floor empha-
sized that for salaries alone, not TAX
ing into consideration the pay of
clerical hire, and other expenses that
would necessarily follow the creation
of national boards of adjustment, the
pay of forty members of the four
national boards of adjustment. which
his Legislation calls for, at $1,000 an
nuually, would amount to s2SO,000.
In addition there would be four
secretaries to the adjustment boards
with salaries of 81, 900 each or $4,000.
Besides that there would be five mem
bers of the board of mediation and
conciliation, with salaries Of $4,000
each or a total of $4,000. That would
mean total of 1856 900 in salaries
alone for those officials, compare
with 100000, the annual salaries of
the nine members of the railroad la
bor board as now constituted.