Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-12-06

VI every SUCH dispute snail be inStl-
tuted and completed tefore a strike
or lockout may lawfully be attempted.
And, sixth, the Judgement in the
hands of the executive of the power,
in case of military necessity, to take
control Of such portions and such
rolling stock of the railways of the
country as may be required for mill
tary use and to operate them for mill
tary purposes, with authority to draft
into tie military service Of the United
States such train crews and admins
tfatlVe officials as the GIRO umstances
require for their safe and efficient
! use.
Commissions Power Clear.
The second and third of these rec
concentrations the congress immedi-
ately acted on; it established the
elght-hour day as the legal basis of
work and wages in train service and
it authorized the appointment of al
commission to observe and report
upon the practical results, deeming
these the measures most Immediately
needed; but it postponed action
upon the other suggestions until an
opportunity should be offered for a
more deliberate consideration of
them. The fourth recommendation I
do not deem it necessary to renew.
The power OF the interstate DOM
merce commission to grant an in
crease of rates on the ground re-
ferred to is indisputabiy clear and
recommendation by the congress
with regard to such matter might |
seem to draw in question the scope
OF the commissions authority Or its
inclination to do justice when there
IS no reason to doubt either.
The other suggeStions,-the in |
crease in the interstate commerce
commissions membership and in it's
facilities for performing its manifold |
duties. the provision for full public
investigation and assessment of in
dustrial disputes, and the grant to
the executive of the power to con-
troll and operate the railways when
necessary in time of war or other |
like public necessity now very
earnestly renew.
The necessity for such legislation
is manifest and pressing. Those who
nave entrusted us with the RESPONSE
blllty and duty Of serving and safe
guarding them in such matters would
find it hard, l believe, to excuse a
failure to act upon these grave mat
tiers or any unnecessary postpone
ment of action upon them.
mot only does the interstate COM
merce commission now find it prac-
tically impossible, with it's present
membership and organization, to per-
form its great functions promptly
and thoroughly but it is not unlike.
ly that it may presently be found az
visable to add to it's duties stl'i
others equally heavy and exactin>r.
1t must first be perfected as an ac-
instrument
Arbitration of Industrial Disputes.
THE country cannot and should
not consent to remain any longer
exposed to profound industrial dis
turbances for lack of additional
means of arbitration and Cancellation
which the congress can easily and
promptly supply. And all will agree
that there must be no doubt as to
the power of the executive to make
and uninterrupted use of
the railroads for the concentration
of the military forces of the nation
wherever they are needed and when
ever they are needed.
This is program of regulation.
prevention, and administrative eff
ficiency which argues it's own case
in the mere statement of it. With
regard to one of it's items. the in
crease in the efficiency of the inter-
state commerce commission, the house
of representatives has already acted;
its action needs only the concurrence
Of the senate.
II would hesitate to recommend,
and I dare say the congress would
hesitate to act upon the suggestion
should l make it, that any man in
any occupation should be obliged by
law to continue in an employment
which he desired to leave. To pass
law which forbade or prevented the
individual workman to leave his work
before receiving the approval of So
,iety in doing so would be to adopt a
new principle in our Jurisprudence
which l take it for granted we are
not prepared to introduce. But the
that the operation of the
railways of the country shall not be (
;,~%4 NV