The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-12
RAILROADS MUST
 CONFORM ID LAW On March 4 Nine-Hour Law
 Goes Ints Effect
MAY EXTEND, NOT SUSPEND
Interstate Commerce Commission In Statement Declares That Railroads Cannot Evade Operation
 of the Law.

Washington, February 11-An impor- tant announcement was made today by the interstate commerce commission re- specting its attitude toward the request recently made by the operating vice-pres- idents of the railroads of the United States that the so-called nine hour law, relating to the employment of train dis patchers, telegraph operators and tower men be suspended by the commission until such time as the law could be amended to meet the desires of all con cerned. The commission holds, in brief, that it has no authority to extend the time or suspend the operation of the law except in a particular case or cases in which a hearing has been held and good cause shown for the extension asked. Fol lowing Is the commissions announcement in part:
 "Thousands of letters and telegrams re- ceived within the last few days indicate widespread misapprehension as to the power of the commission to extend the law which goes into effect March 4th next, limiting the hours of service of em- ployes engaged in the movement of trains upon interstate railroads
 The only authority in this matttr is expressed in the law as follows:
 "'The interstate commerce commission may, after full hearing in a particular case and for good cause shown, extend the period within which a common car rier shall comply with the provisions of this provision as to such case
 The proyiso referred to is that part of section z which provides that no employe who handles train orders by telegraph or telephone shall be required or permitted to be on duty more than nine (9) hours of the twenty-four at offices continuously operated night and day nor more than four at offices out Of lne twenty-four at offices operated only during the day time except in case of emergency, when four additional hours may be requirtd on not more than three 60 days in any week. No other provision of the law can be ex- tended or modified by the commission.
 We are of the opinion, without decid- ing more definitely in advance of full hearing upon such applications as may be made, that good cause for extension is not shown when it is merely alleged or made to appear that the law ought not to 'be enforced at certain stations or classes of stations because the number of train orders handled is small and there Is no need of increasing the force of employees Neither would it be good cause, as we believe, to show that additional operators cannot be obtained at the wages now or heretofore offered if it appears reasonably certain that higher wages would procure the requisite number. These are purely questions of legislative policy which must have been and were determined by the Congress adversely to the carriers, and the commission has no right or authority to postpone the taking effect of this law.
 we are also of the opinion that such power as we have must be exercised be- fore the law takes effect It is the power to extend the period allowed for prepar- ation, not the power to suspend after the law has become obligatory.
 Therefore, we can afford no relief after the 4th of March except in the particular cases where extensions may have been granted prior to that date"