Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-05
MILLENNIUM JUST AROUND
THE CORNER

From the Congressional Record 1t
appears that the Hon. Ira G.
Hersey, representative from the
Fourth Maine District, received from
railroad employees union a letter
threatening to inform each voter in
his district that he. had misrep-
resented them If he voted against
the Barley railroad bill.
Now it is fair to assume that Mr..
Hersey didn't take kindly to that
sort of bulldozing. 1t hardly
would At in with his conception of
the rights, duties and prerogatives
of representative of Maine
congressional district. Accordingly,
he not only announced his opposi-
ton to the bill but gave his reasons
in a succinct but clear statement
covering the question at issue more
comprehensivcly than we have seen
done elsewhere. His Is a notable
contribution to the defeat of the
measure at this session and should
help to keep it defeated.
He attempts to show-and sue
ceeds in doing it--that this Is a bill
ito fool the people to deceive the
farmers, to injure the laborihg man,
to burden the taxpayers, and in
evitably to bring upon this country
the waste and destruction Of gov
eminent ownership Of railroads"
We wish we had space to print
his remarks in full. In them may be
found the history Of the attempts
leading up to this bill. He recalls,
and it cannot be successfully denied,
the way by which the Adamson law
was passed by a Democratic Con-
gress under the threat to defeat that
party at the approaching election.
This Adamson act forced upon the
country "the s-hour day upon rail-
roads" and the increase in the rail-
road labor bill by $271 100000 in
1917 over the previous year. He
tells how the wages in 1920 ex-
ceeded the gross receipts Of those
roads in 1915, how the government
operation cost the taxpayers practi-
cally two billion dollars and how out
of all this came the present Labor
Board, on which are representatives
Of labor, Of capital and of the pub
lie.
In July 1890 this board approved
wage increase Of 20 per cent,
which continued until 1921 when 1t
approved a reduction Of IL per cent.
Then the Interstate Commerce Com
mission ordered a decrease in freight
rates and later the board ordered
decreases leaving to the employees
sixty-five of the four hundred mil
lion dollar increase made in wages
in 1920. The speaker briefly re-
viewed the strike which followed,
the Injunction to put an end to
sabotage, the attempts to injure To-
comotives and endanger the lives
Of the public. the cost of a mil
lion and a half to the government
and two millions to the wage work.
ers themselves. Then came the
challenge of the labor union to get
rid Of the Labor Board, which Is
now taken shape in the Barley bill.
The Democrats in this Congress
have formed alliance with the radi-
calls. In this way they have domf-
mated the situation and have been
forcing the Barkley railroad bill
and the McNarey -Haugen measure
to fix prices for the wheat growers,
ostensibly. but really for the wheat
spectators and the packers. This
alliance Of Democrats and radicals
has been able to revise the rules to
accommodate their purposes. But
in these closing days of the session
some Of them came to their senses.
The folks back home were getting
aroused.
This Barley bill would abolish
the Labor Board Of nine members
three representing labor. three rep
resenting the railroads and three
the public. and in its place would
provide two adjustment boards of
IA members each, and two Of six
members each. total Of 40 MEM
bers. each with a salary Of $1,000 per
year to say nothiag of secretaries
at $4,000 per year. which with q
separate board of I'VE members at
$4,000 per year. with assistants and