The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-24
Enforcement of Nine Hour Law on March 4 Brings Forth
 Loud Protests
COMMISSION PROPOSES
 TO ENFORCE THE JAW
Railroads Show Disposition To Con form to the Requirements of New
 Law, But Say Great Hard
 ship Will Be Worked

Washington. February 23.-In the opn- ion of the operating officials of rail ways they have not been confronted for many years with a condition so serious as is contained in the .nine-hour law" which, by it's terms, becomes effective on March 4. In personal conference and in correspondence with the interstate commerce commission the officials have indicated a disposition to conform to the act. but they express the belief that 1t will not be possible fully and immediate ly to comply with the requirements
 Petitions of considerable number of American railroad companies have been filed with the interstate commerce com mission requesting that an extension of the time of the going into effect of the law be granted them. The principal req sons assigned in all of the petitions for the requested extension of the time are the inability of the companies to obtain the services of competent efficient and dependable telegraph operators and the financial hardship, particularly at the present time, which the employment of thousands of additional men will impose upon them. Some minor reasons are given in few of the petitions, but the two referred to constitute the burden of the statements made by the carriers.
 Hearing To Be Given.
 Next Thursday the 27th the interstate commerce commission will accord to a large nuriber of railways formal hear ing at which an effort will be made to thresh out the matter of extension of the law. An effort also will be made to determine whether or not financial hardship and inability to obtain oper- ators' constitute what the act itself D terms good cause'' for an extension of the time of the effectiveness of the act Already in one case, that of the Geor- gia Southern and Florida the commits sion has indicated in an opinion that it will not consider the subject from a legislative viewpoint. It has also indi- cated that whatever extension it might grant under the law necessarily would have to be temporary as it has not authority to annual the statute. In the minds of the commissioners has arisen, therefore, the question whether the ar guments about financial hardship and inability to obtain operators would not be just as fc7eeful six months hence as they are nov n It has been pointed out, too, that these arguments were presented to the Congress at the time the meas ure was considered, but that, neverthe- less, the bill was crystalized into law
 Between Two Fires.
 The commission, by the wording of the act, is placed between two fires that of the railroads, which desire an extension and that of the labor organiza- tions, which demand an enforcement of the statute. Thousands of telegrams and letters on the subject have been received by the commission, most of them pro- testing against the granting of an ex- tension.
 Under the circumstances it is certain the commission will act with care and deliberation. It can be said positively that as an administrative body it does not propose to- skin any skunks'' for the Congress, or undertake to assume any responsibility for conditions created by legislative act that does not be- long to it properly.
 If any inconvenience 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 as sert, it is quite certain a strong senti- ment will be created in favor of the laws amendment by Congress.