Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-12-08

haps dynamiting, perhaps ditched
trains. There would be street fights,
with beatings and shootings. The
cities would be turned into armed
camps with strikers and their SYM
pathizers arrayed against policemen
and militiamen. From such a situa-
ton President Wilson saved the
country through the passage of the
Adamson law last August, and the
administration, it is not doubted, will
find a way out of the situation that
would be caused by a decision of the
supreme court declaring the law
illegal.
But if the brotherhoods are deter
mined to win, so arc the railroads.
Their costly legal talent and the
presidents themselves have been in
consultation for weeks. Many of
these presidents have come out of the
cab or from behind the firebox and
are fully as straight to the point and
practical as any brotherhood men,
Der. With their shortcut logic has
been mixed the technical information
of the legal experts.
So vital is the issue to the rail-
roads that the advisory committee of
the railway executives has taken per-
sonal charge of their campaign. In
their special committee are included
nine of the most dominant figures in
the railway world. Men such as Hale
Holden Of the Burlington, Daniel
Willard of the B. & o., R. S. Lovett
of the Union Pacific, c. H. Markham
of the Illinois Central, Fred Under
wood of the Erie, Samuel Rea of the
Pennsylvania, B. P. Elliott of the
New Haven and A. H. Smith of the
New York Central are in direct con-
troll. Their chief counsel is Alfred
P. Thorn, general counsel of the
Southern Railway.
Say Adamson Law Is Invalid.
They are just as firmly convinced
that the Adamson law is unconstitu-
tional as the brotherhoods are sure
that it conforms with the provisions
of that document. The railroad heads
say the law confiscates their property
and that congress has no right what
ever to fix wages and working hours.
They declare they will fight to the
last ditch. So do the brotherhoods.
The brotherhood men have one
powerful ally-the administration is
at present with" the workers. Pres
ident Wilson has declared himself
willing to all the railroads. even to
the point Of granting them increased
rates II the working of the Adamson
law proves costly indeed. But the
administration, through its legal de-
partment, is working side by side
with the brotherhoods to sustain the
Adamson law. Judge Adamson, after
whom the law is named, and who was
President Wilson's chief congression-
al aid in carrying out the legislation,
is an avowed foe of the great traffic
systems. He openly SCOTS at the
roads for asking higher rates.
Opposes Railroads Ideas.
In Adamson the railroads have one
open foe not only in congress, but in
the Newlands hearings. He is vice.
chairman of the committee conduct
ing these hearings. Senator New
lands of Nevada, chairman, favors
federal incorporation of railroads,
federal supervision Of stock issuance,
enlargement of the interstate COM
merce commission, centralizing con-
troll of the railways. rather than ex-
tending the power Of the state COM
missions. Adamson is opposed to
these ideas. He believes that they
infringe upon the principle of states
rights. The railroads indorse the
ideas. They urge their adoption.
They say. as it is now, they have "too
many masters"
Judge Adamson has said several
times that no matter what legal steps
injunctions-the rail-
roads attempt. the eight-hour law
will certainly 60 into effect Janu-
airy 1.
ut may be necessary for us to put
some of these railroad presidents in
JAIL" he said, quite seriously.
From now on both sides will be at
a tension until the supreme court
hands down a decision. 1t is not be-
lieved in Washington such decision
will be made perhaps before the first
week of January. Nobody has ever
hustled the supreme court. It SIM
ply isn't done. No matter what the
the supreme court takes
its dignified time.