The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-24
Ask Extension on the Plea of Financial Hardship and Lack of Competent
 Photographers.
COMMISSION IN QUANDARY
Lame Arguments Could be Advanced at Any Time to Prevent Laws Taking Effect-Labor De- 
 mands Trial.

Washington. Feb. 2S,--In the opin ion of the operating officials of rail- ways they have not been confronted for many years with a condition so serious as contained in the nine hour law" which, by its terms becomes ef- fective on March 4. By personal con ference and by correspondence with the interstate commerce commission, the officials have indicated that they will conform to the act but express the belief that 1t will not be possible fully and immediately to comply with the requirements.
 Petitions from considerable num- Der of railroad companies have been filed with the commission requesting that an extension of the time for the laws going into effect be granted them. The principal reasons assigned are the inability of the companies to obtain the services of competent eff ficent and dependable telegraph oper- ators and the financial hardship, par NiNNtNi ot PitcOHli NlllAil til' Sbl- ployment of thousands of additional men will impose upon them.
 Next Thursday the commission will accord to a large number of railways a formal hearing at which an effort will be made to thresh out the matter of the extension of the law An effort also will be made to determine x.l,ot 4, I1l ,;,.fr and inability to obtain operators constitute what the act itself terms good cause for an extension of the time of the effectiveness of the act.
 Already in one case. that of the Georgia Southern and Florida, the com mission has shown in an opinion that it will not consider the subject from 2 legislative viewpoint. It has also indi. cated that, whatever extension it nigh grant under the law necessarily would have to be temporary because it has nc authority to annu the statute. In the minds of the commissioners has here tofore arisen the question whether the arguments about financial hardships and inability to obtain operators would not be just is forceful six months hence as they are now. It has been pointed out, too, that these arguments were presented to congress at the time the measure was considered but that nevertheless, the bill was crystalized into law.
 The commission, by the wording o the act, is placed between two fires that of the railroads which desire al extension, and that of the labor organ, izations which demand an enforcement of the statute. Thousands of tele grams and letters on the subject have been received by the commission, mos of them protesting against granting ar extension.
 If the operation of the law should not prove to be satisfactory to the rail roads, to the employees and to the peo pde, in the nature of things it will b. necessary for congress to amend it but the commission is inclined, tenta. lively, to the view that only an actua trial will determine whether the ac is satisfactory or not If any incon Nenience be imposed upon the travelling or shipping public by the closing of { great number of the smaller stations on railway lines through the operation <, of the law, as practically all operating , officials of the companies assert, it i quite certain a strong sentiment vii he created in favor of the laws amend ment by congress.
 Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 2S.-Fifteen hun dred railroad men, representing all o the different labor unions whose mem bers find employment with the rail roads centering here, met in a mas meeting to-day and adopted resolution endorsing President Roosevelts actioi in ordering an investigation of the re ported reduction in wages to be mad by the railroads when the so-callei mine hour law" goes into effect Marcl i. Another resolution denounces tn attempt of the railroads to reduc wages. Action was taken looking t permanent organization of those rep resented at to-days meeting.