The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-09-05
CONGRESS PASSES
NEW 8-HOUR LAW
eLI WHICH AVERTED THREAT.
ENED STRIKE PASSES HOUSE
BY VOTE ase TO Sc.
TWO DEMOCRATS VOTE NAY
Seventy Republicans and the One So
eialist Voted In Favor Of the New
BiIi.-Severai Minor Amendments
Were Made to the Bill.

Were Made to the Bill.
Washington.-The Adamson eight
hour day bill which railroad brother
hood officials said formally would
avert the threatened strike IL enacted
was passed by the House and sent to
the Senate.
The vote was 239 to 56 with FIVE
members not voting present.
Official House Vote.
The official vote in the House on
ehe final passage OF the amended Adam
son ,eight-hour day bill was:
Ayes 239; nays, Sc; present, 5. Two
Democrats voted against the bill and
10 Republicans. and the one Socialist
voted for it. None OF the Progressives
goted
The original text of the provision
Was as follows:
Be 1t enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the Unit
ed States OF America in Congress as
sembled.
Section 1. That beginning Decem-
tracts for labor and service be deem
ed days work and the measure or
standard of a days work for the pur.
pose OF reckoning the compensation
Tor services of all employees who are
now or may hereafter be employed
by any railroad. -"
Section 2. That the President
shall appoint a commission OF three
which shall observe the operation and
effects of the institution Of the eight.
hour standard work day as above de.
ined and the facts and conditions af
fecting the relations between such
ncmmon carriers and employees dur.
ing period OF not less than six
months nor more than nine months
IN the discretion of the commission
and within 30 days thereafter sucn
commission shall report its findings 70
the President and Congress. That
each member Of the commission Great.
ed under the provisions of this an
Rhall receive such compensation as
may be fixed by the President The
xum Of $4,000 or so much thereof as
nay be necessary be, and hereby is,
United States Treasury. .
Section 3. That pending the report
Of the commission. herein provided
5o~. and for a period of 30 days there
after, the compensation of railway
smployes subject to this act for a
standard eight-hour work day shall
nut be reduced below the present
standard days wage and for all neces.
sary time in excess Of eight hours
such employees shall be paid at a rate
not less than the pro rata rate for
sucm standard tight-hour work day.
Section 4. That any person violat
ing any provision of this act shall be
fined not less than 500 and not more
than $1,000 or imprisoned not TO eX
coed one year or both.
The Adamson bill as passed in the
House by vote OF 239 to Sc, with mi
nor amendments, is the same measure
which the brotherhood leaders official
B declared would constitute "satis.
Sactcry settlement" and prevent the
strike. The amendments, added TO
conform to a draft framed by the Sen
ate Interstate Commerce Committee
would fix the effective date at January
I instead OF December /, 1916, and ex-
empt railroads less than 100 miles long
and electric street and interurban
lines
1t was after a day Of hot debate
fhat the House passed the bill, under
n special rule brought in when Re-
publican Leader Mann objected to it's
..,iH hoI nf ha
Republicans fcl!Swed their floor leader
In the opposition and when the final
vote came 20 OF them lined up with
the majority only 56 voted against the
measure Just two Democrats, Repre-
sentatives Steele OF Pennsylvania, and
Rlack of Texas, stood out against the
hill and Representative London OF
New York, Socialist, voted for IT,
Red tape was eliminated as far as
possible to rush the measure over to
fhe Senate which. after several hours
of lively discussion over a bill report
ed by it's Interstate Commerce Com
mittee, had recessed until 8 o'clock.
At the outset of the night session
8enator Newlands sought and obtain.
ed unanimous consent to put aside the
Senate bill and take up the one sent
sver from the House, thereby paving
The way for quick final action without
parliamentary formalities that other
wise would be necessary. Then Sena-
SCR Underwood brought up the issue
over which the Senate is divided by
proposing as an amendment the rate
xxing provision OF the discarded Sen
ate bill.