Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-10-19 | Page 26 | The Railroad Bill

THE RAILROAD BILL. Tlio senate interstate, commerce, committee com-mittee lias completed tho draft of a bill to establish a permanent railroad policy. One of the features of tho measure is a provision to end railroad strikes by penalizing employees who go on strike or others who foment strikes. Senator Sen-ator La Follette of Wisconsin was the only member of tho committee who voted against the adoption of the anti-strike- provisions which will appear in the bill when presented in the senate some time during tho present week. In order to eliminate striko caus03 tho committeo adopted a provision for the establishment of a federal committee on wages and working conditions, the committee to have a number of subordinate sub-ordinate regional committees for tho settlement of local disputes. This federal fed-eral committee is to bo composed of eight salaried members, four nominated bv the railroad employees and four liv the companies. Tho Adamson eight- hour law is to remain upon the statute books. Government control and operation opera-tion of the roads is to end thirty days after the enactment of the measure. Thero will be violent opposition upon the part of organized labor to tine anti-striko anti-striko provisions of tho bill just completed com-pleted by the interstate commerce committee, com-mittee, and some changes may be made beforo tho measure passes the two houses of congress. It is certain, however, how-ever, that a great majority of the peo-p'3 peo-p'3 of the country aro in favor of preventing pre-venting great railroad strikes which always al-ways result in the demoralization of business and the loss of much money, to say nothing of the Bufferings of innocent in-nocent people who aro thrown out of work and rendered unable to pay high prices for the necessaries of life. There is a heavy shortage of food in New York city today on account of the illegal ille-gal strike of tho longshoremen. The same conditions would prevail in all the cities and larger towns in case of a great railway strike. T'nfinr the, tpriiis nf the senate bill the railroads are to be divided into competitive com-petitive regional systems with the interstate in-terstate commerce commission empowered empow-ered to fix rates, insuring a return of five and one-half per cent upon actual value plus one-half of one per cent for improvements. It is further provided that the financial obligations of the government and carriers growing out of government control shall be udjusted so that a net balance of about $400,-000,000, $400,-000,000, owing by the carriers, shall be carried bv the government at six per cent interest for at least ten years with new notes of the railroads as security. Tho earnings made by the government above the guarantee to the roads will be paid to the roads to offset their indebtedness to the government. There will also be some opposition to these financial provisions. At tho samo time it is evident to every thinking man and woman that the roads cannot he returned to their owners in their present shape without forcing many of them into bankruptcy. Owing to the exigencies of war these great properties were scrambled for the public good and the government i3 iu duty bound to pay for the unscrambling. The time set by the president for the return of tho roads is now only a few weeks distant and it is np to congress to enact somo sort of legislation before the first of January. Jan-uary. There is no good reason why th9 house should not attempt to solve the problem while tho senators continuo to debate the German peace treaty and tho league of nations covenant.