The weekly soliphone. (Paragould, Greene County, Ark.) 1907-1918, 1916-12-21
ADAMSON LAW IS
PERMANENT ACT

Washington, Dec. 18.-Reports
that railroad and brotherhood heads
in peace conferences have planned
to propose the repeal of the Adam
son law and the substitution OF a
working agreement of their own
making for it, Saturday aroused
Representative Adams, author of the
law, to declare that congress would
Spank both sides to the controver-
sy, if necessary"
Adamson, who is the house rep
resentatiye of President Wilson in
railway legislation matters, is will
ing to cooperate in any plan en-
ploycs and employers may evolve Tor
the Interpretation of his law as APP
piled to working conditions, but
will vigorously oppose repeal of it,
as he thinks will the majorities of
both houses.
Congress will not agree to any
repeal of the Adamson law" he
said. The measure was passed in
good faith, and it is a constitution
al enactment regulating hours of
labor and not wages. Let the roads
and their mon settle their wage dis
putes.
TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
Il hope that the negotiations be-
tween the railroads and their en-
ploycs will result in an agreement
which will not make further legis-
lation necessary, but congress will
see that the public gets fair deal.
Ii it becomes necessary to spank
both sides, we'll spank them,
though l hope that won't be neces-
sary."
Adamson looks upon the efforts
of the railroads and brotherhoods'
heads to get together optimistical-
ly, however. He says the result of
the presidential election made the
employers more eager for peace
than they were last fall, and that
the growing belief that the presi-
dent stands for a compulsory arbi-
tration law has put the brother
hoods leaders in a conciliatory
frame of mind.
Neither labor nor congressional
leaders here have official reports as
to just what phases of the rail
way situation the cOnferees have
taken up. Belief is current, how
ever, in congressional circles, that
the foremost feature of the final
agreement will be an Interpretation
of the Adamson law so satisfactory
to both sides that the suit to test
the acts constitutionality, now be-
fore the supreme court, may be
withdrawn. Repeal of the law, ii
is thought, hardly will be suggest
ed. 1t is pointed out that many
members of both houses, having de-
Tended the law on the stump last
fall, would not be anxious to de-
fond the repeal of it i'll the next
campaign.
a plan for the investigation of
threatened strikes also is expected
to result from the deliberations.
Labor is determined that no COM
pulsory arbitration law shall go on
the statute books, but, realizing
that the president evidently is very
serious in his determination to pre-
vent strike crises without investiga-
ton, they will exert every effort to
draft a compromise plan that will
have his Endorsement.
The conferences are proceeding,
all parties to them maintained,
without the official promise of ad-
ministration leaders that action on
the presidents railway legislation
program will be held up pending an
agreement Congressional leaders
are watching them closely, however,
and nothing will be done to inter
fere with their progress for the
present.
Adamson will make an attempt
in the house today to get unani-
nous consent for action on his res
olutiOn designed to provide for the
continuance of the life of the New
lands commission investigating all
phases of transportation problems
until Jan. |, 1918. This may pro-
woke storm of argument, as friends
of the state regulation of railroads
are expected to oppose the resolu-
ton vigorously. Assurance of the
presidents desire to have the reso-
luton adopted is expected to be SUI
ficicnt to carry it through the
lOUSG