The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-29
UNIONS OPPOSE
SOME OF LAWS
WILSON WANTS
VIII Make Fight in Congress
Against Them.
Calls Compulsory Investigation
"ThrOttle to Labor"
Mist PASS LAWS SPEEDILY
If Not Thru by Monday. VIII
Not Affect Strike.
Congress Won't Pass S-HOur
Law Says GarretsOn.
MUST PASS LAWS SPEEDILY
Days Developments in strike.


Washington. Aug Ga summary of de-
velopments in the strike situation follows;
Negotiations between the railroads and
the brotherhoods thru President wilson
were definitely broken off.
The brotherhood leaders definitel or
dered the strike to begin at a. IN. Labor
Day (next Monday unless the order is
countermanded and declared that only a
settlement favorable to the men would
change it.
President Wilson went before Congress
in Joint session al 2 30 O'Clock this after
noon with proposals for new laws to pre-
vent the strike. The latest authentic out
line of the proposals is as follows:
Increase of the interstate commerce COM
mission from seven to nine members.
An eight-hour law for railroad employees
in actual interstate transportation.
To empower the federal board of media
tion to fully investigate operation of an
eight-hour day on railroads.
To empower the interstate commerce
commission TO consider the eight hour day
in connection with making rates.
A measure similar to the Canadian in
dustriGl disputes act for an investigation
of all disputes between railroads AMI their
employees.
measure empowering the president to
operate trains with the primary object of
providing the American troops on the Mex
lean border with food.
The brotherhood leaders favor the eight
hour day features but oppose the proposal
to adopt the Canadian plan.
Washington, Aug. 29.-Brotherhood
leaders. it was understood today, will
fight the compulsory investigation
feature of President Wilson's legisla-
tive program but support his eight
hour proposal.
Every effort will be made, it was
said, to get separate votes on the
proposition in congress and leaders
were confident that could be done.
A. B. Garretson, spokesman for the
men, expressed himself as strongly op-
posed to the compulsory investigation
plan and while ne did not entirely ap-
prove of the proposed eight hour bill
he said that it would bring benefits
to such numbers of non-union men
that the railroad doubtless would op-
pose it and he thought the brother
hoods would be behind it.
Denounces Canadian Law.
1.-The Canadian compulsory investi-
CATION plan," he said has proven the
greatest throttle to labor thct ever has
been devised. Invariably, and 1 speak
from experience, in dealing with rail
ways the railway heads have used this
delay guaranteed them by law to pre-
pare for a strike.
THE eight-hour day proposal fall
ing to carry as it will of course, any
reference to wages would not embrace
our present demands and not be who'll
" satisfactory to us. 1t would have
the effect however, of bringing the
unorganized 80 per cent of railway
labor of which the railway heads
speak so feelingly under an eight-hour
day 1t would be a step in the right
| direction and 1 think you would find
the railroads opposing it vigorously.
I'm order to have any effect on the
present proposed strike the presidents
legislative program would have to
pass both houses and become law
before next Monday morning
Once the men have left their trains,
compulsory investigation would not af-
feet them, in the opinion of brother
hood officials. The officials declined
to discuss this phase of the situation
further.
Claims Society Opposes 1t.
The statement presented to Presi-
dent Wilson by the committee of eight
denies that the judgment of society
favors an eight-hour day and declared
that arbitration is the only proper
way of settling industrial disputes.
The suggestion of President Wilson
for a proposal including the principle
of the eight-hour day but postponing
its effectiveness for a year pending in
vestigation was rejected by the rail-
road executives at the conference this
I
presidents taken in connection with
the strike order of the employees. left
President Wilson no alternative but to
go to congress in a final effort to
avert the strike by legislation.
Senator Newlands conferred with
Senator Cummins, a Republican MEM
ber of the interstate commerce COM
mittee; RepreSen tative Adamson,
chairman of the house interstate COM
merce committee, and Democratic
Leader Kitchin. One bill discussed
provides for a basic eight-hour day,
that the interstate commerce commits
sion fix the maximum wages in all
cases of dispute temporarily pending
any commission adjustment of rates
and that "it will be unlawful for any
employe on any interstate railroad
carrying United States mail to quit
service without giving six days notice,
except by consent of the employer"
Provides Heavy Penalties.
1t would prohibit any two or more
persons operating interstate railroads
or roads carrying the United States
malls from combining and conspir-
ing to quit at the same time and there
by interfere with and obstruct the
operation of such trains to the loss
and detriment of the public.
The penalizing action of the bill
would make violation a misdemeanor
punishable by a minimum fine of
$4,000 or maximum Imprisonment
for ten years
There was some opposition to it in
the conference and also some oppo-
sition to the plan to amend the house