The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-02

dents.
 l Washington, Sept. 2.-After the minority had vainly tried to amend it, l the House passed the eight-hour bill last night by a vote of 239 to 56. Re- 1 presentativeS Black of Texas and Steele of Pennsylvania were the only Democrats to discuss. Seventy Re- publicans voted for the bill. l Consideration of the proposal to give the trainmen of the United States a 25 per cent increase in pay, Known as the eight-hour. day bill, was over- l shadOWed in the Senate yesterday by the sensation caused by the proposal | of Senator Underwood of Alabama that the Interstate Commerce Com | mission receive power to fix the sala- | ries of all workers ol, railroads, | from Presidents to ticket sellers. The Senator's proposal came before the | Senate as section 6 of the Newlands bill.
 With the approval of it's Interstate | Commerce Committee, the House adopted two amendments framed by Chairman Adamson of that commit tee. The date for the law to become | operative vas changed to Jan. l, 1917, instead of Dec. 1, and a provision was inserted exempting short-line ra:l- roads
 The Republicans made two unsuc- cessful attempts to insert a provision such as the President originally sug- gested in his address to Congress, re- quiring compulsory arbitration in line I with the Canadian law.
 This amendment, offered by Re presentative Sterling of Illinois, was ruled out by Speaker Clark as not | germane. The point of order was | made by MT. Adamson. The minority leader appealed from the decision of the Chair, but the House sustained the Speaker. 204 to ST.
 Representative Fitzgerald of New York made the principal argument in reply to MT. Mann's speech, holding that the Sterling amendment was germane. He charged that the arbi- tration plan amendment "is to change the character of this bill so that those who are anxious to meet the present emergency would be compe1l- ed, because of the doubtful constitu- tionality of the proposition, to vote against this emergency bill"
 Charges Lack of Patriotism. MT. Fitzgerald said he regretted that I've do not have the patriotic support of our political opponents ir the House in the emergency. Every one knows that a comprehensive pro- gram of legislation could not be en- acted in time to prevent the contem- plated strike" MT. Fitzgerald add ed. Certain legislation embodied in this bill if enacted into law, or ii Congress acts in such a way as tc show that within a brief time it will be enacted into law, will avert the strike.''
 No rollcall was demanded in the House on the rule giving the Eight Hour bill privileged status. The de. bate on both the rule and the bill however, was spirited, and the Presi. dent came in for criticism by Repub- 1icans for not insisting upon arbitra. ton.
 Representative J. Hampton Moore of Pennsylvania, charged that the Administration had known of the strike danger for months. but had brought the issue to head just be- fore the elections.
 | Grover rlo"cland or Theodore Roosevelt could have settled this ] question in an hour," said MT. Gillett of Massachusetts, deploring that the President had not firmly demanded arbitration.
 The amendment exempting short. line roads from the operation of the eight-hour law, offered by MT. Page of North Carolina, reads:
 Except railroads independently owned and operated, not exceeding 100 miles in length. electric street railways, and electric interurban rail- ways
 To the amendment, on motion of motion of MT. Kitchin, the House add ed the following:
 | Provided that the above excep- lions shall not apply to railroads though less than 100 miles in length whose principal business is leasing or furnishing termiial or transfer facili- ties to other roads, or who are themselves engaged in transfers of freight between railroads, or between railroads and industrial plants.''
 Bonnet Attacks Bill.
 The bill was debated for five hours Some Republicans who expressed dis taste for nasty legislation said they would support the bill in the hope of averting a strike, although there was , general Republican discomfort over the plan evolved by the Administra- ton.
 Representative William S. Bonnet, a New York Republican, assailed the bill saying:
 This legislation is the worst blow that any one ever dealt to organized labor. Today you are trying to fix the pay of 100000 men employed ir one industry. to give them an increase of 20 per cent. If you fix their pay today, you must fix the pay tomor- row of 2,0O0,000 men in that indus try and within a short time you will come to a situation where you must fix the pay of every employe in fac. tories making goods for interstate comm cree.
 "I also oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional. Why, in the case of l Coppage vs. Kansas, almost this pre- l else question has been passed upon . within two years. and when the House 8 attempts to say to these railroad men l that it is giving them 10 hours pay | for eight hours work, let us use the plain Anglo-Saxon and say it lies tc