Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-09-06
PRESIDENT SIGNS
EIGHT-HOUR BILL
Wilson Makes Measure a Law
While on Train.
RAIL STRIKE CALLED OFF
Brotherhood Officials Send Out Code
Messages Telling Men Not to Quit
on Monday-Senate Vote
Was 43 to %.

WdSnll&LOu,
railroad bill became a law at 8 80 yes
terday morning. President Wilson
signed it at the breakfast table on the
train which brought him here from
Shadow Lawn, n. j., where he was Tor
mally notified of his nomination.
That there may be no question OF
the measures legality the president
will sign it again upon his return here
Tuesday.
The signing was without ceremony
and took place instantly on the arrival
of the train for which Executive Clerk
Forster and a messenger were walt
ing with the official copy of the bill.
Mrs. Wilson and Secretary Tumulty
were present, and as soon as the ex-
ecutive signature was affixed Tumulty
sent the news to the railroad brother
hood officials, who were waiting at
hotel.
Wilson Goes to Kentucky.
An hour after his arrival President
Wilson took another train to HOdgens-
vile, KY, the birthplace of Lincoln,
where he will accept on behalf of the
nation the cabin in which the emanci-
patOr was born.
The president showed high satisfac-
tion in performing the final act which
made law of the act that had pre-
vented a nationwide railroad strike.
The brotherhood officials had rushed
out code messages calling off the walk
out, set for seven o'clock Monday
morning, just after the senate passed
the bill Saturday night and after they
had been assured that the president
would sign the measure on his arrival
here.
The new law establishes an eight
hour day effective January 1 next on
all railroads subject to the Jurisdiction
of the interstate commerce commits
sion; provides that the existing wages
for ten hours labor shall be paid for
the new eight-hOur day; and creates
commission to investigate the cost of
the new plan to the railroads.
The commission is to complete it's
work by October 1, 1917, and pending
it's investigation all overtime is to be
paid for by the railroads at pro rata
rate.
"CIimax of Happy Day"
When President Wilson was told
that the eight-hour bill was ready for
his signature he said:
1T is the climax of very happy
day"
The union leaders are satisfied with
the victory obtained. The railroad ex-
ecutives are disgruntIed and charge
they have not had fair play.
The house bill, which will be, known
as the AdamsOn eight-hour law, was
passed by the senate few minutes
after six o'clock Saturday evening. It
was not changed in any particular.
Fhe vote was 43 to 81
The Underwood amendment empow-
ering the interstate commerce COM
mission to fix wages and the hours Of
latter was killed by vote of 81 to A.
This action followed day of debate,
much of which was conducted under
circumstances Singuuarly dramatic. 1t
concluded two weeks of suspense, dur
ing which the nation had been con-
frOnted with strike order set to be-
~OhiC operative Ou llle great FdlIfOaQS
on September 4.
Rail Strike Dead as Lazarus"
A. 3. Garretson, the spokesman of
the railroad brotherhood chairmen,
made this statement:
1--WE have issued orders for the re-
call Of the strike While the president
has not signed the bill, we know what
he will do, and we did not want to
take any chances on being able to de-
diver the recall order on Sunday.
'With our recall order the strike is
as dead as Lazarus. If the railroads
should succeed in having the eight
hour measure Gust adopted) declared
unconstitutional, we would proceed to
"a reconsideration OF the entire case.
We shall keep our faith with the preSi-
dent, with congress and with the pub
lie
1.-THE world may rest assured that
there will never be a strike on the vote
which we counted few weeks ago"
Asked for the text of the recall order,
Mr.. Garretson said:
"There are $40 texts. A different
message went to each one of the $40
district chairmen of the four brother
hoods Each one of those in turn will
send out orders to his local chiefs. 1t
lis an endless chain scheme and we
wanted to reach them all sure"
1--WE Accept Under Protest"
"The railroads will accept under pro-
test. OF course, we will take no arbi-
traEy or hostile action. The only thing
we are looking for at present is the
convenience and welfare of the public.
what action will be taken cannot
be stated until our legal department
can look into the constitutionality of
the eight-hour law which congress en-
acted This act is the result of the
Clayton act, which exempted the la
bOrer from the Sherman act. Congress