The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-08-31

indisputable fact that there was no
means of obtaining arbitration. The
law supplied none; earnest efforts at
mediation had failed to influence and
yet not get arbitration seemed to me
futile, and something more than fu-
tile, because it involved incalculable
distress to the country and consequent
ces in some respects worse than those
Of war, and that in the midst of
peace.
Only One Course to Pursue.
81 yield to no man in firm adher-
ence, alike of conviction and of pur-
pose, to the principle of arbitration in
industrial disputes; but matters have
come to. a sudden crisis in this par
ticular dispute and the country has
been caught unprovided with any
practical means of enforcing that con-
viction in practice (by whose fault we
will not now stop to Inquirer.
"a situation had to be met whose
elements and fixed conditions were in
disputable. The practical and patri-
otto course to pursue, as it seemed to
me, was to secure immediate peace
by eonceding the one thing in the de-
mand sof the men which society itself
and any arbitrator who represented
public sentiment were most likely to
approve and Immediately lay the
foundations for securing arbitration
with regard to everything else involv-
ed. The event has confirmed that
Judgment. l was seeking to compose
the present in order to safeguard the
future; for l wished an atmosphere of
peace and friendly cooperation in
which to take counsel with the rep
resentatives Of the nation with regard
to the best means for providing, so far
as it might prove possible to provide
against tie recurrence of such unhap-
ply situations in the future-the best
and most practicable means of secur-
ing calm and fair arbitration of all in
dustrial disputes in the days to come.
"This is assuredly the best way for
indicating a principle, namely, hav-
ing failed to make certain of its OBJ
servance in the present to make GER
tain of its observance in the future.
But could only propose. l could not
govern the will of others who took an
entirely different view of the. circum-
stances of the case-when even re-
fused to admit the circumstances to
be what they have turned out to be.
Having failed to bring the parties
to this critical controversy to an &C
commodation, therefore, l turn to you,
deeming it clearly. our duty as public
servants to leave nothing undone that
we can to safeguard the life and inter
ests of the nation. In the spirit of
such a purpose, 1 earnestly recon-
mend the following legislation:
"First, immediate provision for the
enlargement and administrative reor-
ganization of the Interstate Commerce
Commission along the lines embodied
in the bill recently passed by the
House of Representatives and now
awaiting action by the Senate; in or
der that the commission may be en-
abled to deal with the many great
and various duties now devolving up
on it with prOmptness and thorough
ness which are with its present con-
stitution and means of action practic-
ally impossible.
"Second, the establishment of an
eight-hour day as the legal basis alike
of work and wage in the employment
of all railway employees who are ac-
tually engaged in the work of operat-
ing trains in interstate transportation.
/ Third, the authorization of the APP
pointment by the President of small
body of men to observe the actual re-
suits in experience of the adoption of
the eight-hour day in railroad trans
portation alike for the men and for
the railroad; it's effects in the matter
of operating costs, in the application
of the existing practices and agree
ment to the new conditions and in all
other practical aspects, with the pro-
vision that the investigators shall re-
port their conclusions to the Congress
at the earliest possible date but with
out recommendation as to Legislative
action, in order that the public may
learn from an unprecedented source
lust what actual developments have
ensued.
Fourth, the explicit approval by the
Congress of the consideration by the
Interstate Commerce Commission of
an increase of freight rates to meet
such additional expenditures by the
railroads as may have been rendered
necessary by the adoption of the eight
L.. Jr.r o,,J which bay-a NOT hnpn off