West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-12-07
President Wilson'S Message To. Con.
gress


WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-Following
the precedent he established when he
first assumed his executive duties i'm
the White House, President Wilson to-
day appeared before joint session OF
Congress and personally outlined legis
lation he hopes to have enacted by
that body.
The following is the Presidents adj
dress:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
In fulfilling at this time the duty
| laid upon me by the constitution of
communicating to you from time to
time information of the state of the
union and recommending to your con
sideration such legislative measures as
may be Judged necessary and exped-
| lent / shall continue the practice
which l hope has been acceptable to
you of leaving TO the reports OF the
| several heads of the executive depart
| ments the elaboration OF the detailed
needs OF the public service and connne
Il
eral policy with which IL seems neces-
| sary and feasible to deal at the pres
ent session of the Congress-
realize the limitations of time un-
der which you will necessarily act at
this session and shall make my sug-
gestions as few as possible: but there
were some things left undone at the
last session which there will now be
necessary in the interest of the public
to do at once.
| In the first place IL seems to me inn
peratiyely necessary that the earliest
possible consideration and action
should be accorded the remaining
measures of the program of settlement
and regulation which 1 had occasion
to recommend to you at the close OF
your last session in view OF the pub
lie dangers disclosed by the unaccom-
modated difficulties which then exist
ed, and which still unhappily continue
to exist, between the railroads of the
Il
neers, conductors and trainmen.
l then recommended:
First-Immediate provision for the
enlargement and administrative re-or-
ganization of the Interstate Commerce
Commission along the lines embodied
in the bill recently passed by the
House of Representatives and now
awaiting action by the Senate: i'm or
der that he commission may be en-
abled to deal with the many great and
various duties now devolving upon II
with promptness and thoroughness
which are. with its present constitu-
ton and means OF action. practically
impossible.
Second-The establishment of al
eight-hour day as the legal basis alike
of work and of wages i'm the employ
ment of all railway employees who are
actually engaged in the work of oper-
ating trains in interstate transporta-
ton.
Third-The authorization of the ap-
II Wy tilt itSlutlll Ol "a SIllull
body OF men to observe the actual re.
suits in experience of the adoption OF
the eight-hour day in railway trans
portation alike for the men and for
the railroads.
Fourth-Explicit approval by the
Congress of the consideration by tho
Interstate Commerce Commission OF
an increase OF freight rates to meet
such additional expenditures by the
railroads as may have been rendered
necessary by the adoption of the
eight-hour day and which have not
been Offset by administrative readjust-
ments and economies, should the facts
disclosed justify the increase.
Fifth-An amendment of the exist
ing Federal statute which provides for
the mediation, Cancellation, and arbi-
tration of such controversies as the
present by adding TO it a provision
that, in case the methods of accommo-
dation now provided for should fail. a
full investigation of the merits of ev-
cry such dispute shall be instituted
and completed before a strike or lock-
out may lawfully be attempted.
And, sixth. the Judgment in the
hands OF the executive of the power.
in case of military necessity, to take
control of such portions and such roll
ing stock of the railways of the coun-
try as may be required for military
use and TO operate them for military
purposes, with authority to draft into
the military service of the United
States such train crews and admins
trative officials as the circumstances
require for their safe and efficient use
The second and third Of these re-
concentrations the Congress imme-
diately acted upon: It established tho
eight-hour day as the legal basis Of
work and wages in train service and
1t authorized the appointment Of a
commission to observe and report up
on the practical results, deeming these
the measures most Immediately need
ed; but II postponed action upon the
other suggestions until an opportunity
should be offered for a more deliberate
consideration Of them. The fourth re-
commentator do not deem il neces-
sary to renew. The power of the In
terstate Commerce Compassion TO
grant an increase Of rates ON the
ground referred 10 is indispulably
clear and a recommendation by the
Congress with regard TO such a mat