Albuquerque morning journal., 1916-12-06
President Urges Upon Congress
Completion of Legislative Program

elght-hour day and which have not
been offset by administrative read
iustments and economies, Should the
facts disclosed justify the increase.
Fifth, an amendment of tho exist
ing federal statute which provides for
/ the mediation, Cancellation, ard arbi-
tration of such controversies as the
present by adding to 1t a provision
/ that, in case the methods of accom-
modauon now provided for should
fail, a full public investigation Of the
merits Of every such dispute shall be
instituted and completed before
strike or lockout may lawfully be at
/ tempted
And, sixth, the Judgement in the
/ hands of the executive of the power,
/ in case of military necessity to take
/ control of such portions and such
! rolling stock of the railways of the
/ country as may be required for mill
/ itary use and to operate them for mill
/ itary purposes, with authority TO
draft into the military service Of the
United States such train crews and
/ administrative officials as the cir
cumstances require for their safe and
efficient use.
The Eight hour Day.
The second and third of these rec
concentrations the congress immedi-
ately acted on it established the
eight-hour day as the legal basis of
work and wages in train service and
it authorized the appointment of q
commission to observe and report up
on the practical results, Ueemlng
these the measures most Immediately
needed; but it postponed action upon
the other suggestions until an OppOr-
tunity should be offered for a more
deliberate consideration Of them. The
fourth recommendation ! do not deem
it necessary to renew The power of
the Interstate Commerce commission
to grant an increase of rates on the
ground referred to is indiSputably
clear and a recommendation by the
congress with regard to such a mat
ter might seem to draw in question
the scope Of the commissions author
ity or its inclination TO do justice
when there is no reason to doubt
either
The other suggestions-the in
crease in the Interstate Commerce
commissions membership and in its
facilities for performing its manifold
duties, the provision for full public
investigation and assessment Of in
dustrial disputes, and the grant to the
executive of the power 10 control and
operate the railways when necessary
in time of war or other like public
necessity now very earnestly re-
new
The necessity for such legislation
is manifest and pressing. Those who
have entrusted us with the response
biity and duty of serving and safe
guarding them in such matters would
find it hard / believe, to excuse
failure to act upon these grave mat
ters of any unnecessary postpone
mcnt of action upon them.
Not only does the Interstate Com
merce commission now find it prac-
tically impossible, with its present
membership and organization, to per
form it's great functions promptly
and thoroughly but it is notsunlikely
that it may presently be found advis-
able to add to its duties still others
equally heavy and eXacting. 1t must
first be perfected as an administra-
tive instrument.
Necessity for Arbitration.
The country can not and should not
consent to remain any longer exposed
to profound industrial disturbances
for lack of additional means of arbl-
tration and concihatiOn which the
congress can easily and promptly
supply And all will agree that there
must be no doubt as to the power OF
the executive to make immediate ana
uninterrupted use Of the railroads for
the concentration Of The military
forces of the nation wherever they
are needed and whenever they are
needed.
This is a program of regulation
prevention and administrative eff
cheney which argues its own case IN
the mere statement of 1t. with re-
gard to one of its items the increase
in the efficiency of the Interstate
Commerce commission, the house OF
representatives has already acted; its
action needs only the concurrence OF
the senate.
! would hesitate to recommend, and
I dare say the congress would hesi-
tate to act upon the suggestion should
/ make it, that any man i'm any occu-
patton should be obliged by law to
continue in an employmet which he
desired to leave. To pass a la"
which forbade or prevented the IN
dividual workman to leave his work
before receiving the approval of So
ciety in doing so would be TO adopt
a new principle into our jurispru-
dence which I take it for granted we
are not prepared to introduce. But
the proposal that the operation Of the
railways of the country shall not be
stopped or interrupted by the con-
certed action of organized bodies OF
men until a public Investigation shall
have been instituted which shall make
the whole question at issue plain for
the judgment of The opinion of the
nation is not to propose any such
principle. It is based upon the very
different principle that the concerted
action of powerful bodies Of men
shall not be permitted to stop the in