Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-20

tharleS T.. Hughes, addressing an
audience in the Springfield Arsenal last
nlght, renewed his attack on the ad-
mlnIstration for passage of the Adam
son law in the face of the threatened
rallroad strike. Mr.. Hughes discussed
and called futile" reasons advocated
Tor It's passage. quoted from President
WILSON'S address to Congress on the
SUBJECT, c7-SHenged the statement of
Representative Adamson that it was
passed TO meet an emergency, and
cited declaration attributed to Gro
yer Cleveland in support of the con-
tentlon that the law was "a surrender
to force
We have seen" Mr.. Hughes said,
what appears to be the consideration
OF immediate political expediency at
the expense of public welfare. Mr.
Adamson said 1t is hasty legislation,
admit, to meet an emergency. What
emergency? The emergency of force
10 which the administration had
capituiated."
Speech Loudly Cheered
Mr. Hughes spoke before a crowded
house. His speech last night was his
second in Springfield. The first, at the
state fair grounds in the afternoon,
dealt chiefly with his ideas on protec-
ton of American industries, American
rights and preparedness. lie also
touched on the protection of American
rights.
The America of which I have a
vision, the America of the future, is an
America maintaining rights on land
and sea without fear or favor through
out the world"
The audience cheered and applauded
loudly.
Legislation Without Inquiry
Mr.. Hughes. after declaring the
just interests of labor are the concern
of ALL and asserting that he desired
TO see safe and wholesome conditions
of work, adequate opportunities for
education and recreation, reasonable
hours of labor and fair wages. said:
The Adamson bill is force bill. 1t
was legislation without inquiry, with
out knowledge. The demand by the
administration for such legislation as
the price Of peace was a humiliating
spectacle. II was not only a serious
misuse of official power, but a deplor-
able abdication of moral authority.
The excuses presented are futile.
The Adamson bill is not bill provid-
ing for an eight-hour workday. 1t
does not fix hours at all. 1t regulates
wages. Its provisions do not require
any employer TO employ any set of
men for only eight hours a day. Eight
hour Gay laws are TO avoid fatigue and
oVerstrain by prohibiting employment
in excess of the requirement. There
is nothing of this.
What it does Is to provide by law
for ali increase in wages for certain
men. They may work just as long as
before. They may work ten hours or
more. They are simply to get more
pay. The act provides that in con-
tracts for labor and service eight hours
shall be deemed a days work and the
measure or standard of a DAYS work
for the purpose of reckoning the COM
pensation for services 10 all employees
of the sort described
Pointine out that the Adamson bill
itself conceded that the subject was
one requiring investigation, Mr.. Hughes
said that If there was ANYTHING requir-
ing a careful inquiry il was a "propo-
sition affecting readjustment other
than Of rates and of expenses of car
riers," on whose efficiency "the COM
munity depends"
1T was proposed in substance by
the administration that increased rates
should he charged to shippers so far as
required to pay this increase of wages.
Assurance was given that no obstacle
of law would be suffered to stand in
the way of the railroads in increasing
their revenue to meet resulting in
creases in the expenses so far as de-
velopment of their business and of
their administrative efficiency did not
prove ADEQUATE to meet them.
Public Must Pay Bill
I'VE may pause to ask what is the
significance of this reference to OBJ
stacle of law The law provides for
reasonable rates and an appropriate
proceeding for fixing of reasonable
rates by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. Were these proceedings and
the provisions of law the obstacles of
law TO which reference was made?
Were they to be overcome. if neces-
sary. 10 accomplish the desired in
crease?
TT must be understood that the bur-
den of increased rates is passed to the
public. II necessarily affects a host of
activities. agricultural and Industrial.
"Manifestly we have here an ex-
tremely intricate question of rates and
OUTLAWS. What was the manifest duty
of the Executive? Plainly to insist that
Investigation should precede action and
that nothing should be Welded to force
1t was stated by tho Executive in his
address to Congress that the matter
had been agitated for more than a
year Why. then. was it not investi-
gated? Could not the administration
command all necessary machinery for
fair and thorough inquiry? Not only
did the administration fail to take
proper action on its own initiative, but
the business men of the country ap-
pealed in vain to the administration
for investigation. Their request won
no favorable action.
Time was allowed to run. and then
came the surrender that shocked the
people throughout the land. Was the
crisis unforeseen? Why was 1t per-
mitted to arise when the admins
tration WAS forewarned?
Stands for Arbitration
II stand for the principle of arbi-
tration in Industrial disputes. Labor,
least of all. can afford to have that
surrendered. 1t is a civilized
method. as opposed to the injurious
contests of force. which impoverTsh
labor and imperil tho social order. The
essence of the matter is fair and rea-
sonable hearing of all parties con-
cerned and n Just determination ac-
cording to the facts.
''It is no answer to say that the
awards of arbitration are not always
just The effort should be to improve
reasonable methods. not to subvert
them. Railroad companies refusing
arbitration have been condemned at
the bar of public opinion. and great
IL tx< he