Evening star., 1916-09-04
NEW LAWS EFFECT
ON CARRIERS SOUGHT
Senator Reed Offers ResoIu-
tion for |. c. c. to Investigate
and Report in December.
PRESIDENT SIGNS BILL
ON SHORT STOP HERE
Brotherhood Leaders Not Present,
But Four Will Receive
Each q Pen.


Each Pen.
Senator Reed of Missouri today intro
duced a resolution to authorize the in
terstate commerce commission to in
vestigate the effect Of the eight hour
day law on the cost of operation Of
railroads and to report to Congress in
December.
The resolution will be called up for
consideration tomorrow.
President Signs the Bill.
The Adamson eight-hour- bill. az
acted from Congress by the railroad
brotherhoods the price of calling OF
the nation wide strike ordered for to-
day, was signed by President Wilson in
his private car yesterday morning at
the Union station. where he stopped on
his way from Shadow Lawn. n. j., to
Hodgenville, Ky.
That there may be no question as to
the legality of the measure as re-
suit of it having been signed on Sun
day. the President will affiX his sigma
ture again upon his return to Washing
ton tomorroY.
How long peace shall reign as re-
suit OF the bill apparently is dependent
upon developments in the proposed
move to test the constitutionality of
the act. Should the railroads take no
action. but await the beginning of an
investigation of the workings of the
eight-hour day by the special commits
sion for which the measure provides,
the brotherhoods will remain inactive.
The employees leaders declare, how
ever. that should the law be held un-
constitutional, and the railroads at
tempt to restore the ten-hour day on
their lines, strike will follow prompt
ly.
Brotherhood heads in a circular letter
to their members yesterday made no
comment on the measure as passed.
They merely pointed out that 1t would
not become effective until January /,
and that many things might occur be-
tween now and then which would
change materially any suggestions or
comment they might make.
Brotherhood Men Not Present.
None of the brotherhood leaders wit
messed the signing of the bill. They
had expected, according to tentative
arrangements made by Secretary Will
son Saturday night. to be present. but
the President decided to attend to the
business at the railroad station. and
newspaper correspondents. gave them
their first information about it.
The four pens used by the President
in signing the bill--one for each syllable
of his name-wil1 be presented to the
four brotherhood heads, A. B. Garrett
son. W. q. Lee, w. S. Carter and W. 8.
Stone. after being used for resigning
the bill.
No ceremony attended the signing
yesterday. 1t originally had been
planned that the President should go
changed. and instead, Rudolph Forster,
assistant secretary to- the President,
took the bill to the train. Near the
car window group of trainmen in
their overalls paused in their work
long enough to watch the President
write his name. An engineer, passing
on a yard engine, celebrated the occa-
sion with several prolonged blasts of
his whistle
While at the station the President
also signed several commissions and
executive papers. and sent Secretary
Tumulty to the home of Majority Lead
er Kern of the Senate to urge that the
Senate pass the Webb bill, passed Sat
urday by the House, designed to per-
NIT American firms to utilize common
selling agencies abroad without violat-
ing the Sherman antitrust law.
Later the President and Mrs. Wilson
took an automobile ride about the city
During their absence the private car
was attached to a special train carry
ing guests of the Lincoln Farm Asso-
citation. bound for Hodgenville to par
ticipate in the exercises incident to the
transfer of the log cabin in which
Abraham Lincoln was born to the fed
eral government today, at which time
the President will make an address.
Planned to Strike August go.
1t developed that the brotherhoods be-
fore being summoned to Washington by
President Wilson three weeks ago had
agreed to call strike effective August 90
The orders they drafted were used when
the strike finally was set for Labor day.
After having been printed in preparation
'or the proposed strike on August 20 they
we're locked in vault in New York De-
,ision week ago last Saturday to order
/ strike the following day, when the ma
ority of the committee of $40 were leav-
ng for their homes. was followed by q
TASTY trip to New York by two represent
.tives of the brotherhood. The strike
late, September 4. was filled in with
'ubber stamp but the original date OF
he call. August IA, was not changed.
A circular letter. drafted by w. G. Lee
md giving the complete details Of ne
,otiations since last August /, as well
IS a copy of the Adamson bill, were
nailed to all members of the brotherhood.
Messages calling off the strike sent
rom here Saturday night by the rail-
DAD brotherhood heads were in a new
ode, copies Of which were mailed to all
he general chairmen last Wednesday.
This was done to fool spies" and
traitors" it was explained. At the
headquarters it was ex-
,lained that some Of the chairmen
robably would not receive their codes
the hour set for the strike, and
hat it would be necessary to advise
hem in uncoded dispatches of the sit
ation.
All of the brotherhood leaders have
een taking it for granted that their
hairman~would accept newspaper an
of what had happened
nd postpone local walk-outs until the
ew codes could arrive or they could
messages with Washington.
None of the officials now here think
here will be any difficulties other than
Leaders Are Congratulated.
Hundreds of kilograms came to the
leaders at their hotel yes
erday and today. Most of them were
One or two were from
,cals which had received no notice
nat the strike was off, so in some few
ar away sections of the country tenn
orary difficulties were looked for.
After completing the work of notify
lg, Chairman w. G. Lee, head of the
.ainmen's brotherhood. left for his
ome in Cleveland. The other three
light or tomorrow. Railroad execue
ycs called here by the President have
~