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Show NEW RAILROAD LAW. ! A plan for permanent railroad regu- lation has been presented to tho senate by tho interstate commerce subcommit-j subcommit-j tee, of which. Senator Cummins of Iowa j " 'i is chairman. The subcommittee has had the matter under consideration for eev- ': j eral months, the plan finally agreed i upon being the work of Senators Cum- ' : mins, Kellogg and 'Poindextor, Republi- ; : cans, and Senators Pomorene and Kob- j inson, Democrats. The Arkansas statesman states-man fired tho opening gun in behalf of - tho bill, so it is fair to presume that '; politics has little or nothing to do with j i the attempted solution of this great j ,1 : problem by the interstate commerce j ' ! committee. "Whether or not it will be 1 1' passod by congress is an open ques- '!.' tion. The 'members of the subcommit- ', ; ; tee, however, are to bo commended for 1 J' ni. jiiimnt work and faithful en- tleavor. If tho measure is not entirely 1 ' satisfactory it can bo amended to suit j ': the wishes of tho majority of the mem-) mem-) bers of the two houses. It has been I referred to the full interstate commerce ! committee and will soon be taken up I , 1 on the floor of the senate if the league of nations debate dees not consume all of the time. :, The plan calls for termination of f ." government control and return of the ':;"! railroads to private ownership on the i '' last day of tho month of, enactment; establishing the interstate commerce !, ' ! commission, with greatly increased pow-:! pow-:! ers, as the supreme body today over ; i : railroad affairs; supervision and control II ": over -virtually all railroad affairs, in-i' in-i' eluding rates, wages, operation and ! ', 1 financing, by the government; creation ; ., of a new railway transportation board , ! c;f five members, appointed by the pres-ident pres-ident to supervise railway development ' i and operations, subject to final action I: 1 of the interstate commerce commission; ! j i creation of a new committee on wages ! i '! and working conditions, composed equal- I ly of representative employees and em- ,! ployers, with wide authority in settling f !! ' labor questions, subject to decision of 1 i the transportation board and intcr- btate commerce commission; prohibit- I , I ing strikes and lockouts by railroad em- ' ' j ployees under fine and imprisonment ! ' ': penalties; defining a new policy for con- i ' i centration in ownership of railroads with federal incorporation into not less 1 :': j than twenty, nor more than thirty-five , i I . . ,,.nnl.a Viv the ' 1 regional svstems; uu bu"-" "j government of future railway income, but limitations made upon revenue to "fair" dividends based on value of properties fixed by the interstate commerce com-merce commission. The bill provides that existing railroad payment contracts con-tracts with the government shall be ' continued not longer than four months. Senator Kobinson, in the course of his speech on the railroad bill, declared de-clared that "the time has come when " congress must protect the public against loss of life and property and of widespread suffering, which will m-1 m-1 . evitably result if the railroads should , ' bo tied up by a general strike. The ri"ht to strike has hitherto been recognized recog-nized under our laws, particularly in certain provisions of the Clayton act - These laws should be modified, and i strikes of employees on railroads en-I en-I "accd in interstate commerce should bo j forbidden." The right of employees ! to quit work for any reason is recognized, recog-nized, but there must be no combina- tions or agreements to hinder, restrain or prevent the movement of commodities commodi-ties or persons in interstate commerce ' V and agreements which havo that effect a-e penalized. , ' Xhe bill will not receive tho Bupport i of tTis brotherhoods and other railroad ,-i, belnn? to the various cnnii"J o . i unions, s;.K-e ii- takes away one of their ! (.t.ief weapons of offense. Other por- i ' tions of the bill will probably bo at tacked bv tho railroad executives and. I - . the 'shareholders. Bankers and political ! economists will also have something to 8ay upon the proper solution of the ' problem before a law is finally pas.ed T t whatever conclusions are finally " ched the measure introduced by m man Cummins will be considered ' f ou all angles and wi 1 serve as a ' , is forjvvjl'i-'' |