The sun., 1916-09-24
HOUR Law HAD
TO COME-WlLSON


road executives did suggest that Cor.
that II the eight hour day went into OPP
GRAFTON they would get Increased rates
for the carriage Of their freight. I
pointed out to them that II was impos-
sible to tell whether they would need
Increased rates for the carriage Of their
freights.
"Judement Of Society,""
I'VE believe in the eight hour day be-
cause a man does better work within
eight hours than he does within . more
extended day, and the whole theory of
Il, q theory which IL sustained now BY
abundant experience. II that his en-
cheney Ia Increased, his spirit In his work
physical vigor Of the nan ID added to.
This Is no longer conjecturaL Where II
has been tried II has been demonstrated.
The judgment Of society, the vote OF
every Legislature In America that has
voted upon It Ia a verdict In favor Of the
eight hour day. And therefore I said to
those gentlemen on both sides at the
very beginning. The eight hour day
ought to be conceded but they said, 1t
will cost US an immense sum Of money
How do you NOV how much It will cost
your
you remember there was a case de-
cided by the Supreme Court Of the
United States. 1t vas known as the
30 cent gas case, where by legislation
In the state Of New York so cents was
established as the charge for the unit
Of the supply Of gas. and the law was
contested upon the ground that II was
c~onfscatory and therefore unconstitu-
tional. And when the appeal reached
che Gunrorna rn,r& 80 thn IvnttaA ltataa
II said. Nobody can tell until you try 10
manufacture gas ut so cents whether II
is coniscatory or not. Go ahead and
manufacture gas and sell It for 80 cents.
n then II II proves impossible to con-
duct your business upon that charge
come back and discuss with Us the on
fscatory character Of this act.' and II
may be remarked in passing that the
company never went back to discuss 1t.
A~rbitrating . Conjecture.
IL said to the railroad executives
You are asking that the result Of the
eight hour day be predicted and the pre-
diction be arbitrated. You are askins
for an arbitration OF a conjecture. Of ar
opinion. OF a forecast Of the figures OF
experts based upon An entirely different
experience. and IL you were to ask me
presumably W dIDitTdte SUCH u QucStlOI
I would say ! am not competent to arbi.
trate IT. The reasonable thing to do /,
to grant the eight hour day, not because
the men demand II but because II IL right
and let me get authority from Congress,
to appoint a commission Of as Impartial
a nature as I can choose to observe the
results n report upon the results In
order that Justice may In the event bs
done the railroads In respect Of the cos'
OF the experiment That was the pro
posal which they rejected and which
Congress put into law. a proposal which
made to them before l conferred with
conference and which when the one sid,
rejected and the other side accepted
went to Congress M asked Congress I,
enact. I did not ask either side whetheI
II suited them and ! requested my friend
In Congress not to ask either side whethe
II suited them. learned before the con
troversy began. so far as I was con
cerned In II. that the whole temper Of IN,
legislative body Of the United States wa.
In favor of the eight hour day.
"When I carried II to Congress som,
very interesting things happened. In tn
House OF Representatives the plan wa
passed. was sanctioned. by q vote whicl
Included. I am told. about seventy Re
publicans as against ffty-four Republi
cans. and in the Senate I am informe,
that the Republican members Of the Ser
ate held a conference In which they de
termined to put nc obstacle In the wa,
OF the passage Of the bill. Now thi
was because the proposal was reasonabl
and was based upon right.
But. aides and gentlemen. that 1
not the end Of the story. This thin
ought 20 have been done, and 1t ha
to be done at the time that II was don,
go as to bring about a reasonable tria
Of the eight hour day and a caref,
> examination Of the results Of the eigt
hour day. but that does not finish tn
, matter. Let me call your attention
: what ! believe we ought all TO be thini
Ing about so as to set the stage for TIL
and all similar cases.