The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-20
EICHT-HOUR LAW PASSAGE VICTORY
 FOR THE PEOPLE
Business Mems League Say National Calamity Was
 Averted.

tive Committee or the WOouToW WH- son Business Mems National League has issued the following statement on the LiSht-Hour Law:
 ..On September l, 1915, the Con- gress passed the eight-hour law, af- fecting railroad train men. The law provides that after January l, 1917, the standard work day for these men shall be eight hours, that their pres ent wage shall not be reduced, and that a commission shall be appoint ed by the President to study the ef- fects of this eight-hour standard, the commission to report to the Congress from six to nine months after January 1. 1917. It provides further that if any of these employees are obliged to work more than eight hours, they shall be paid pro rata rate for such service.
 "The public is familiar with the situation that led up to the passage of this law. The railroads and the employees were at a deadlock for months, the employees refusing to ar bitrate the question of an eight-hour standard and the railroads refusing to grant it, until finally the employees, by vote, gave their representatives auth ority to call a strike if their de- mand was not granted by the rail- roads. The, press of the country teemed withi reports directing atten- tion to the gravity of the situation and predicting the dire results that would inevitably follow the calling of strike, and appeals were made to both sides to get together. Had a strike resulted, we all realize the terrible economic loss, as well as loss of life and property, that would have followed. One hundred million peo- pie, the greater part of whom were not directly involved in this contro- versy, would have been affected by this strike.
 From the moment that the rail- roads issued their embargo order on account of the threatened strike a general letting up in business follow ed, and even the issuance of this or der resulted in the loss of millions of dollars to shippers of perishable goods. Thousands of people who were in different sections of the coun- try for pleasure or business hurried home, fearing that they would not be able to travel in the event of a tie-up of the railroads, and the busi- ness of this country, was beginning to suffer even at the prospect of a strike. Finally the President, repre- senting these one hundred million people, as well as the railroads and their employees, after a fruitless eff fort to harmonize the interests, re- ferred tke matter to the Congress, and, although on the eve of adourn- ment, the Congress immediately took up this problem and passed law which saved the country from a serious catastrophe. The passage of this law was not a victory for the railroads, or for the employes-it was a victory for the people, who were most deeply interested.
 "The President has promised that upon the reconvening of the Congress adequate legislation will be enacted to prevent recurrence of the inn pending cala nnity that overhung this nation. Our gratitude should go out
 to both the President and the Con-
 gress for. their prompt action in this crisis.
 "The Wilson Business Mems Ma
 tional League would like to know
 whether MT. Hughes, if elected, in tends to reopen this controversy and
 thus subject us to the danger of pre- cipitating a strike." The statement is signed by the of ficers and directors, who are: Presi- dent, Charles R., Crane, formerly
 President of the Crane Company,
 Chicago. NI-l Vice-President, George F. Johnson, President of the Endicott-J Johnson Company, Binghamton, N. r., largest
 shoe manufacturers in the world; w. L. Saunders, President of the Inger- soll- Rand Company, New York city, and Vice-President of the American International Corporation; c. H. Ing ersoll, Ingersoll watches.
 Treasurer, Jesse Isidor Straus, one
 of the partners of R. H. Macy & Com
 pany.
 Chairman of Executive Commit tee, Edward A. Filene, President of
 the William Filene's Sons & Company, Boston; Director of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States; Mem ! Der of Congressional Chamber of Commerce.
 Executive Committee. Robert Adamson, prominent among the Democrats in New York and Fire l Commissioners of New York city. | S. R. Bertron, member of the firm Of Bertron, Griscom & Company, bankers, who handle securities of public Utility Corporations through | out the country,
 l w. R. Messenger, broker Of New l York real estate, | George M. La Monte, paper manu- l facturer. | Calvin Tomkins. formerly Dock 1 Commissioner of New York city. 1 J. Spencer Smith, in the firm of Smith & Ness1e, importers and com
 mission merchants, 86 Hudson street,
 New York cityi manufacturers of pure food products; President of the New l York Chamber of Commerce. w, B. Futile, -Jr., President of the Welding Ring, senior partner Of
 Mailer & Quereau, 31 Stone street,
 New York cityi President of the New York Produce Exchangei President of
 American Exporters Association | Dr. Edward G. Achesen, Sc. D., in
 ventor of carbonundr and artificial graphite and various lubricants. He l Is President of the Acheson Corpora
 ton, New York cityi factories at Mia
 gara Falls, N. Y.j Huron, Michigan,
 and abroad.
 l The Federal Grand Jury at Cleye- i land returned two indictments against ,1xy~v TlN:I