The Washington herald., 1906-12-15
HOURS FOR RESTING
La Toilette Railway En-
ployes' illCenter OfFight.
EFFORT MADE TO REcOMM1T
Railway Mems Organizations Not to
Be SwerVed from Their Position of
vantage-POssible Derangement
of Railroad Schedules to Follow
the Passage of the Bill.

the GassAEt "a AhG 0AAAs
Although the La Toilette bill to pro-
mote the safety of employees and trav-
elers has been the special order in the
Senate for two weeks. not a word or
debate has been broken upon it thus
far this season. Each day at o'clock
when this bill has the right Of way
over everything else, Mr.. La Toilette
invariably rises, and with fine defer
ence 10 the wishes Of his colleagues TO
continue with other business. asks
unanimous consent that the special
order be temporarily laid aside Often
as his fellow Senators voted to lay his
amendments to important measures last
session. they now accept his courtesy
as matter OF course
No one now wishes the debate on the
railroad empIoye bill TO begin. and all
are glad TO have the Wisconsin Sena-
tor hold it out Of the arena Of discus
sion.
In the meantime a struggle has begun
between the railroads and the railway
laboring mems organizations to dis
pose Of the measure. The former have
made several overtures for com
promise, their first proposition being to
have the La Toilette bill recommitted 10
the Committee on Education and
Labor in order that there might be
hearings.
what Would Follow.
The railroad traffic managers affirm
that if the bill should be passed, even
with a reasonable time limit in which
they could prepare for the changes re-
ouired by the proposed law, they would
be obliged 10 reorganize their entire list
of schedules. and the effect on the rail-
roads OF the country would be to produce
a chaotic condition Of confusion, The
railway laboring men, on the other hand.
declare that no such consequence would
follow The railroads would simply be
forced to employ men enough to afford
the necessary relief to 90 on when en-
ployes had worked the limit Of hours
prescribed by the law.
The railway employees have had two
conferences with traffic managers at
Chicago, and declined TO enter into any
agreement for delay or hearings. They
insist that they are willing TO stand on
their chances with the La Toilette bill as
the special order 10 be disposed Of
January 10. The leaders of their various
organizations have arranged to meet in
Washington December 20, TO consider any
matters Of legislation connected with the
protection Of railway employees or the
travelling public that may be regarded
as desirable as amendments TO the
Ia Toilette bill.
The bill, as IL now stands, first forblds
any railroad in the District Of Columbia
or the Territories 10 require any Of its
employees to work more than sixteen
hours except In case Of an accident, or
to work without having had an interval
OF eight hours off duty, and also forbids
any railroad engaging in the interstate
commerce to work its employees longer
than sixteen hours, or without the eight
hours Of rest. The measure as il stands
is the most thoroughly amended bill be-
fore Congress.
History of the Measure.
As il came from the mouse it was re-
garded by the railway laboring men, and
by those who are urging it for the sake
OF the travelling public, as a fairly good
measure. When it was reported from
the committee it had been, as Mr.. La
Toilette declared on the floor Oh the Sen
de. LOIl4lltLtlg ENlcEtE dttu. III tuIll. Dtil-
ators Foraker and GaHinger on one side.
and Senators La Toilette and MeLsurin
on the other, proceeded to offer amend
ments until the reprint of the bill that
was ordered looked like a bad case of
measles.
BY the desperate method at the close
az last session Of threatening TO refuse
To allow unanimous consents unless some
show could be given the BILL Mr.. La Fol
ltIte succeeded in having it made the
special order this winter, and January
10 was set for 2 final vote. In the in
turval the death Of President Spencer,
of the Southern, and several other promi-
ment men with him has served TO accen-
tuate the need OF the legislation pro-
posed. The delay in getting an official
report as 70 the actual cause Of the ac-
cident on the Southern in which Presi-
dent Spencer lost his life is by some
regretted, as It is believed that II would
help the passage of the bill The re-
ports of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission will be used, however, to show
shat the great loss Of life in this coun-
try every year is in an appalling degree
caused by conditions which the pending
bill is calculated TO remedy.
Public opinion has grown so critical Of
the Senators who shirk necessary railroad
legislation that the friends Of the La Fol
lette bill are confident that they can
get votes enough to pass it. It is known,
however. that the traffic managers Of the
country viii gather here after the hOli
day recess in the hope of impressing on
the Senate the wisdom of recommitting
the bill either to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor. from which II came.
or 10 the Committee on Interstate Com
merce. Should this course be taken the
measure would in all probability not meet
with action this session, but go over to
the next Congress.