Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-01
Pubhc Eventually
Must Foot the Bill
for Eight-Hour Da1

strength. he threw ou, his arms, low.
| ereu ms eyes TO the crowd. and i'm a
low voice asked. Can I face it?" and
dropped into his chair.
GARRETSoN RELIEVES
SITUATION BY LEAVING:
Not person in the room moved for
several seconds MIR. Garretson re-
liered the situation by rising from his
chair and leaving the chamber
n. p. Thorn, general counsel for the
! Southern Railway and counsel for tho
railway executives advisory committee,
| closed for the railroads with a summary
or the arguments against the eight
hour day. He said the railroad eXecu-
| ives are acting in a tlduciary capacity:
| that they must see that there is a fair
return on the money invested in rail
roads. and that any wage Increases ore
not distributed to only a comparatively
| small part OF their employees.
We do not claim the right to decide
this question:" said MIR. Thorn. ANY
more than VIC think that any interested
party ought to be allowed to decide it,
We were told that the eight hour day
Is not arbitrablc The answer 20 that
Is that these gentlemen would not have
an eIght-hour day and would not
accept IL if 1t was rendered to them"
Mr Thom said that never in any
legislative act nor i'm any party plat
form had the position been taken that
man should work eight hours and
be paid for ten.
we promised to keep an account on
the basis Of an eisht-hour day whilo
commission sought to ascertain tho
NI 10
whenever an award should he made"
he added 81 call upon your con-
sciences to witness whether In this at
tithde there is any purpose to deny
human rights or to deal arbitrarily
with any rights of tho employees
This crisis. important enough for the
President Of the United States 10 sub
init the issue TO Congress, should be
carefully and deliberately considered.
But here you are denied the right Tor
time and deliberation OH merits OF the
proposals. You are told that YOU must
surrender before next Monday or this
nation will he plunged into n calamity
OF starvation and ruin in order that tbe
views OF few may prevail"
ASKS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
III POSITIONS WE'RE REVERSED
Mr.. Thorn asked what would nappen
II the positions OF the trainmen and
OF the executives were reversed and
the officials threatened to tie up the
country.
Would Congress then wait for one
moment to put the mnilcd, hard hand
or government on thernr" he asked.
us there any reason that what would
be justified in their case is not usti-
fed In this?"
Elliot ". Goodwin, general secretary
of the Chamber OF Commerce. OF the
United States, was the first speaker
for the shippers He said vote
taken among more than 100 commercial
organizations showed them almost
unanimously in favor OF submitting
the present controversy 10 the Inter
state Commerce Commissions
Henry G. Barlow. traffic MANAGER for
the Chicago Association Of Commerce
urged postponemcnt OF the strike. that
Congress might have time to iuvesti-
gate fully.
Luther NJ. Walter, attorney for the
National Industrial Traffic League, who
said he represented 100000 shippers and
trade organizations. objected to any
proposal that looked to an increase iuI
freight rates without hearing on y
: = (Continiied ON Second pa Co-Y