The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-09-08
SENATE RESCINDS
STRIKE ORDER
BROTHERHOOD HEADS CALL
OFF WALk-OUT OF
MEN.
Last Steps in Presidents Long Effort
to Avert General Railway Tieup
Marked by Tensity-Bin Pro-
vides for Eight Hour
Day in Interstate
Commerce..

Washington, Sept. 2.-The threat of
general railroad strike, which has
been hanging like a pail over the
country for nearly month, was lifted
tonight.
Three hours after the senate had
passed without amendment the Adam
son eight-hour day bill, passed by the
great railroad employees brother
hoods telegraphed 6OO-odd code mes
SageS to their general chairmen in all
parts of the country cancelling the
strike order issued week ago to
take effect next Monday morning at
7 o'clock.
BY Party Vote.
The legislative expedient to avert
the strike was passed in the Senate
by vote of 43 to 2S-almost strict
party vote-amid stirring scenes, af-
ter many senators, Democrats and
Republicans, had fought desperately
to amend the measure by provisions
designed to prevent industrial disas-
ters in the future. Some senator's,
thoroughly aroused, declared congress
was being coerced into enactment of
legislation that it did not desire, and
that it knew would return to plague
it in the future.
In both houses the measure was
signed within a few minutes after a
final vote in the senate and it was
sent at once to the White House,
where President Wilson will sign it
at 7:3 Oo'clock tomorrow morning, af-
ter his return from Shadow Lawn.
Changed Their Mind.
Officials of the brotherhoods, who
witnessed the final passage of the bill
had announced early in the night that
cancellation of the strike would not
be ordered until the bill had been
signed by the President and actually
had become law. But later they con-
ferred, changed their minds and flash
ed the code messages signalling to
the waiting trainmen of the country
through their chairmen the message
that satisfactory settlement had
been secured.
The bill that stopped the strike pro-
vides that after January l, 1917, eight
hours shall be regarded as basis of
reckoning for a days pay for men
engaged in the operation of railroad
train in interstate commerce, Except
ing roads less than 100 miles long
and electric lines,) that they shall re-
ceive pro rata pay for work in ex-
cess of eight hours and that their
rate of compensation shall not be
changed pending an investigation for
from six to nine months of the effect
of the eight-hour day upon the rail
rnalc hxy -
ed by the President.
Efforts to Amend Futile.
Efforts to amend the bill in the
senate were futile, the supreme effort
to alter it having been led by Senator
Underwood, who sought to provide
that the interstate commerce commits
sion should have power to fix rail
road wages and hours of service in
the future. This amendr.ent was de-
feated by a vote of 81 to ID.
Only two Democrats, Senators
HardwicH, of Georgia, ana Clarke, OF
Arkansas, voted against the bill. and
one Republican, LaFollette, of Wis
consin, voted for it.
Borah is Doubtful.
In the debate on the Adanson bill
Senator Borah said he doubted if the
ice about to be paid would "cure the
patient" He had his own views, he
said, of the ability of the four broth
erhood's chiefs to call off the strike
but he was certain the great body of
trainmen never would carry the strike
order out if they were assured that
le President and congress were Sc
riously investigating with view to
legislation. No severer indictment
could be drawn against their charac-
ter and intelligence, he said, then to
say they would not accept such assur-
ance.
'If congress cannot proceed to con.
slider this deliberately and with all
facts at hand" he asked, "then it ia
truly yielding to dictation. If that
is the situation, then congress has
reached the greatest crisis of its
whole history and the halo that
has hovered over the body for years
will soon be dissolved
81 warn union labor that the
amendment to give the interstate
commerce commission authority tc
wages is the inevitable logic of the
position we will occupy when we pass
this bill. When they accept this bill
the union men will have conceded the
''ght of congress or other govern.
mental tribune to fix wages.
Il cannot get the consent of my
conscience and my judgment to vote
for this BILL" said Senator Jones
This act is compulsory and arbi-
trary settlement"
Feels Crisis Demands IL.
Senator Pomerene said he would