New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-24

'he real problem OF capital and labor
was 10 bring the two sides 20 under
stand and believe in one another.
Didn't Realize Seriousness.
y did not realize until | held those
conferences just how far apart they
were IN that particular and indispensa-
Die part of our national life, the trans
portation Of the country, and when
did realize IL ! saw that there was
great task that WAS worth any mans
while ahead OF US 20 bring the minds OF
the country together. TO see that men
understood one another. TO see that
they had some assurance that they were
speaking the truth to one another.
never had franker conferences in my
life than had with the representatives
of the two sides.
you know that when the public be-
gan 20 notice this controversy II had
already been going on for some time.
had been watching It with great anx-
lety, and when it became evident that
an accommodation Was not going TO be
reached thought IL my duty TO try my
hand at the difficult task of accommo-
dation, because | knew how much was
involved, not only in the immediate ef-
fects OF a great strike such as was
threatened. but also in the ultimate
effects. the soreness left, the resent.
ment that would remain, the feeling Of
hostility that would be accentusted,
and so | asked the privilege Of consult
ing with them.
Controversy Simple.
Before | consulted with them 7, %
course, made myself acquainted with
the points at controversy, and learned
that they were very simple indeed
that the men demanded an eight-hour
day and that, in order 20 make the
eight-hour day work. they demanded
that the railroads pay them one half
more for overtime than they paid them
for the time in the regular day, the
men alleging that that was the only
way in which they could obtain a genu-
inc eight-hocr day, by making the rail
roads paw more for the time beyond
the eight hours than they paid for the
time within the eight hours.
Il saw at once that there was one
part Of this that wss arbitrable, but
that in my opinion there was another
part that was not arbitrable. | do not
regard the question of the principle OF
the eight-hour day as arbitrable.
"The first thing told both sides
before | requested their opinion was
that I stood for The eight-hour day.
received no suggestion OF any kind
from either side as 20 what the OASIS
Of settlement was 70 be, except that
the railroad executives did suggest
that Congress give them some sort OF
assurance that IL the eight-hour day
went into operation they would get IN
creased rates for the carriage OF their
freight. | pointed out TO them that II
was impossible TO tell whether they
would need increased rates for the car
rage OF their freights.
Asked Roads to Prove
81 said TO those gentlemen on both
sides at the very beginning: The
eight-hour day ought 70 be conceded
But they said: IT will cost Us an i'm
mense sum Of money How do you
know how much IL will cost you
you remember there was a case de-
cided by the Supreme Court OF the
United States. Il was known as the
s0-cent gas case. where. by legislation
in the State OF New York. so cents was
established as the charge for the unit
OF the supply of gas, and the law was
contested upon the ground that IL was
confscatory and therefore unconstitu-
tionsl. And when the appeal reached
the Supreme Court OF the United
States il said: Nobody can tell until
you try to manufacture gas at so cents
whether it is confscatory or not Go
ahead and manufacture gas and sell It
for so cents, and then, If II proves i'm
possible to conduct your business upon
that charge, come back and discuss
with US the conhscstory character OF
this act
''And il may be remarked in passing
that the company never went back to
discuss il.
81 said to the railroad executives:
You are asking that the result of the
eight-hour day be predicted and the
prediction be srbitrated. You are ask
ing for an arbitration OF conjecture,
of an opinion, of forecast Of the fig
ures of experts based upon an entire
ly different experience, and II you were
20 ask me personally TO arbitrate such
a question, | would say am not COM
petent 10 arbitrate il. The reasonable
thing 70 do is 70 grant the eight-hour
day, not because the men demand it,
but because il is right. and let me get
authority from Congress TO appoint
commission of as impartial a nature
as / can choose TO observe the results
and report upon the results in order
that justice may in the event be done
the railroads in respect of the cost OF
the experiment.
One Side Rejected Proposal.
"That was the proposal which they
rejected and which Congress put into
law, a proposal which | made TO them
before | conferred with it, which /
urged upon them at every conference
and which, when the one side rejected
and the other side accepted, | went 20
Congress and asked Congress TO enact.
81 did not ask either side whether
i. suited them, and l requested my
friends in Congress not to ask either
side whether it suited them.
learned before the controversy be-
gan, go far as was concerned in 1t,
that me whole temper OF the legisla-
tive body OF the United States was in
favor Of the eight-hour day.
When l carried IL 70 Congress
some very interesting things hap
pened. In the House Of Representa-
tives the plan was passed, was sane
toned, by a vote which included, !
am told. about seventy Republicans as
against ffty-four Republicans, and in
the Senate | am informed that the
Republican members Of the Senate