The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-09-01

Democratic Leader kitchln called up
the AdamSon bill soon after the house
met
Il ask unanimous consent for its i'm.
mediate consideration said he
Il object" said Republican Leader
Mann
Representative Harrison, democrat.
then offered the special rule and there
was discussion on that. Mr. Harrison
said congress, IN the interest OF the
American people. ought to pass thus bill
by Saturday night and avert the strike
Denounces Legislation.
Representative Bennett republican,
denounced the proposed legislation.
There are worse things than strikes.
said Bennett, and one OF those things
is the destruction OF the American
system OF government | don't propose
TO cast my vote with a pistol at my
head"
Representative Cooper OF Ohio. re-
publican, denied tha, labor is holding
up congress as Mr. Bennett charged
1T was not the railroad men who
asked this legislation" he said They
do say, however, tha, II this house
passes this bill today, and the senate
passes II tomorrow they would have
the power to call off the strike"
The rule was adopted without a rec.
ord vote and debate on the bin itself
then began
Republicans Confer.
When the senate convened recess
was taken almost Immediately until
p. m. 10 permit the interstate com
merce committee to continue its work
Of drafting the strike prevention legis-
la,ion and to permit republican mem
bers to confer ON the proposed bills
President Wilson spent almost an
hour conicrring with democratic mem
bers and then returned to the White
House.
Definite abandonment OF the plan tn
attach the railroad strike legislation to
the pending bill to enlarge the inter.
state commerce commission was agreed
10 by the senate committee
Concentrate on One Bill.
Majority Leader Kern said after the
presidents visit that the democrats
would concentrate on the eight houl
bill and put over the rest OF the rail
road legislation Many democrats felt
there would be little disposition among
the republicans to fllibuster agairs, the
cight-hour bill in view of the present
situation
The senate Committee determined
there was too much opposition TO the
interstate commerce commission en-
largcment bill to risk attaching it to
the emergency legislation.
As the bill stood this morning the
senate committee had agreed that the
new commission should consider an
increase in freight rates to meet such
additional expenditures BY the railroads
affected as may have been rendered
necessary by the adoption of the eight.
hour day and which had not been off
set by administrative readjustments
and economies should the facts dis
closed Justify the increase"
May srins Opposition.
Some members were seriously in.
clined to the belief that such definite
direction regarding the rate question
would provoke opposition IN the SEN
ate from progressive republicans. par.
ticularly which would make quick pas
sage OF the bill impossible.
There were indications this after.
noon that the labor leaders will fight
the proposal to empower the interstate
commerce commission tu govern wages
as the senate bill proposes but probably
will accept II II they see congress is de.
term'ned to include II in the bill
As agreed upon today, the senate
bill would make the cigh, hour basic
day effective January |. 1917, and ap-
ply to railroads l0o miles or more In
tCon,,nss~ IN rss. Two,