The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-12-07
CONGRESS HEARS
WILSON'S MESSAGE
presidents Address to Both
Houses Is Quite Short.
RAIL TROUBLES COME FIRST
eurther Legislation on That Line Is
Strongly Recommendation Civ
inc Foreign Commerce Promo
tiers Free Hand Necessary.

Moth houses of congress in joint SEES
don The address was as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
In fulfilling at this time the duty laid
-nnon me by the Constitution of COM
.municating to you from time to time
information of the state of the Union
and recommending to your cOnsidera-
non such legislative measures as may
he Judged necessary and expedient l
shall continue the practice, which I
hone has been acceptable to you, of
leaving to the reports of the several
heads of the executive departments the
elaboration of the detailed needs of
the public service and cOnfine myself
to those matters of more general pub
Tic policy with which it seems neces-
,sary and feasible to deal at the pres
4ent session Of the congress.
realize the limitations of time IN
der which you will necessarily act at
this session and shall make my sug-
;xestions as few as possible; but there
were some things left undone at the
last session which there will now be
time to complete and which it seems
necessary in the interest of the public
to do at once.
In the first place, 1T seems to me i'm
peratively necessary that the earliest
possible consideration and action
should be accorded the remaining
measures of the program of settle
ment and regulation which had occa-
sion 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 existed,
and which still unhappily continue to
exist, between the railroads of the
country and their locomotive engineers,
conductors, and trainmen.
Railway Troubles First.
then recommended:
First, immediate provision for the
enlargement and administrative reor-
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 in order that the
commission may be enabled to deal
with the many great and various duties
now devolving upon It with a prompt
ness and thOroughness which are, with
Its present constitution and means of
action. practically impossible
Second, the establishment of an
'eight-hour day as the legal basis alike
of work and of wages in 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-
pointment by the president Of small
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 con-
gresS Of the consideration by the in
terState commerce commission of an
increase of freight rates to meet such
additional expenditures by the rail
roads as may have been rendered nee
essary by the adoption of the eight
hour day and which have not been off
set by administrative establishments
and economies, should the facts dis
closed justify the increase.
Fifth, an amendment of the existing
federal statute which provides for the
mediation, Cancellation, and arbitration
or such controversies as the present
oy adding to it provision that, in case
me methods of accommodation now
provided for should fail, full public |
investigation of the merits of every |
such dispute shall be Instituted and |
completed before q strike or lockout |
may lawfully be attempted.
And, sixth. the lOdgment in the |
Aands of the executive of the power, |
IN case Of military necessity, to take
Eoh'roi of such portions and such roll
ing stock of the railroads of the coun-
ny as may be required for military
use and to operate them for military
purposes, with authority to draft into
me military service Of the United
states such train crews and admins
UaaVe officials as the circumstances
squire for their safe and efficient use.
ReneWs His Recommendations.
Inc second and third Of these rec
concentrations the congress Immediate
acted on: it established the eight
1'uf day as the legal basis of work
~ U'u wages in train service and it au-
1oIized the appointment of COM
na.SSl"h to observe and report upon the
cal results, deeming these the
he"Nures most Immediately needed;
nn ' II postponed action upon the other
hese>uons until an opportunity should
~, 'Hered for more deliberate con-
on1e 'uon OF them. The fourth rec
sa1 hdauon l do not deem it neces-
torSS 70 renew. The power of the in
an "'e commerce commission to grant
fo,1 .'lIrease Of rates on the ground re-
reol sN 10 is indisputably clear and a
sen augmentation by the congress with