The Washington herald., 1907-03-01
HOURS BILL In PERIL
President Desires but One
Change in the Measure.
he DOES NOT ASK FOR OTHERS
Principal Amendment Would Mega
tive the While BfIi-TeIeEraph
Operators 10 Have a Flat Twelve
hour Day, which May BE Made
sixteen ia Emergencies.


The CoRfeTees on the hOurs-0f-scrvice
Bill did not conclude their report yc5tcr-
day and will probably not be able TO do
20 to-day. It has become necessary to so
over the bin with great care. II is admit
ted that taking The original House bill as
a basis, a measure totally unlike that which
passed the House or that which passed
che Senate viii result.
The representatives of the railroads are
more favorably impressed with the
amendments that were considered at the
hearing Wednesday than they were with
either the Senate bin or the House bill
Tho colloquy between Representative
Murphy. Of Missouri. and Mr.. Moseley,
secretary of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, resulted in the statement,
made privately after the hearing, that Mr..
MOseley had come before the committee at
the request Of ono high in authority Mr.
Moseley, when asked TO verify this state
ment, said last night that he had been
called By the conference committee, and
only desired 10 sec Il perfected measure
clared would be the result.
Desired One Change.
Mr. Hugh Fuller, who represents the
various railway mems organizations.
called on the President ut the White
House yesterday and asked 10 be in
formed IL the changes recommended by
Mr. Moseley before the conferees the day
before were desired by the President. Mr..
Fuller, when seen after his interview with
Mr.. Roosevelt, said that it was true he
had asked the President in regard TO the
matter and that the President had told
him that he only urged 10 Mr. Moseley
that there should be five words stricken
out Of the bill in the clause relating to
emergencies.
The clause in question is as follows:
''The provisions OF this act shall not ap-
ply In any case of casualty or unavoidable
accident. or the act OF God; nor where the
delay was the result Of a cause not known
10 the carrier or its agent in charge Of
such employee at the time said employe
left a terminal and which could not have
been foreseen with the exercise of rea-
sonable caution"
The only amendment which the Presi-
dent said he suggested TO Mr.. Moseley.
Mr.. Fuller stated, was TO strike out the
words. with the exercise of reasonable
caution"
Mr.. MoseIey's Position.
Mr.. Aoseley, when asked last night as
10 this statement. said that it was true.
It, therefore, appears that other amend
ments urged by Mr.. Moseley before the
conference committee were prompted by
his own desire 10 secure what in his
judgment should be a perfected bill.
although his views Of the measure and
those Of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission are not in accord.
The amendments which the conferees
have practically decided 20 make in the
bill are to require telegraphers TO work
twelve hours u Gay instead Of nine hours,
except that in case of emergency they
can be worked four hours longer, or six
teen hours In all.
The effect Of making a fat tWelve-hOur
day for telegraphers viii have a peculiar
effect in several States. For instance, in
Maryland the law gives the telegrapher
an eisht-hour day. Railroads doing an
interstate business would be able TO de-
mand that the Federal law prevail over
the pending bill operators in Maryland
would be compelled TO work twelve hours,
and. in emergency cases. sixteen.
Another amendment has been accepted.
which places responsibility Tor violation
OF the law on railway agents and officers
who have direct control Of the employees.
The effect of this would be TO relieve the
general officers Of the road, such as the
president, vice president, general mana
ger, and similar officials.
Most Important Change.
The amendment that meets with the
most decided opposition from the friends
Of the bill is the change that the con-
ferecs seem likely 10 adopt in the Ian
guage Of the main clause as 10 working
hours
As passed by the House the clause was
20 the effect that no employe who has
been on duty sixteen hours in the aggre-
gate in the Neutrality-suspicious. period shall
be required or permitted 10 continue on
duty. or go on duty. without having had
NJ least eight hours of duty within such
tWerty-fOur-hO period. " The committee
proposes 10 strike out the word con
Tinue'' and insert the words again go"
and strike out tho words farther on, ''or
30 on duty
This would make IL possible To work a
man eight hours, lay him of one hour.
and then put him on again for eight
hours, the result of which would De that
there would not be "a rest period of eight
consecutive hours left ia the tweuty-four-
hour period. 1t IS claimed that this would
IN effect break up the twcuty-four-h
period ana negative the intent OF the
whole bill